Life Science Terms 2 Learn #7 Evolution

evolution

change in life over millions of years, all life is related and comes from a common ancestor

adaptation

a characteristic/trait that helps an organism survive long enough in its environment to reproduce

genetic variation

multiple varieties of genes/traits within a population of a species

species

a group of organisms that can mate and

produce fertile offspring

natural selection

process used to explain how life changes

over long periods of time

Darwin

British naturalist who developed the theory of Natural Selection in a published book titled Origin of Species in 1859

speciation

process of one species becoming different species after being physically separated by natural barriers

extinction

when a population of species no longer

has enough members to reproduce

fossil

evidence of prehistoric life

preserved in rock

evidence of evolution

fossils, fossil record, vestigial structures,

comparing skeletal structures, comparing embryonic development, and DNA