1.1 An Introduction to Evolution Lesson

Diversity

The variety of living things that inhabit our planet.

Evolution

A change in the inherited characteristics of a group of organisms over generations.

Natural Selection

The process where the environment selects organisms better suited for survival.

Artificial Selection

The process by which humans selectively breed plants and animals for desirable traits.

Beneficial mutations

Mutations that improve the phenotype, giving an advantage to the organism.

Harmful mutations

Mutations that reduce the reproductive success of the organism.

Neutral mutations

Mutations that provide no benefit or harm to the organism.

Geological processes

Processes that change the Earth's structure and occur over long periods of time.

Theory of Uniformitarianism

The theory that geological processes occur at a uniform rate over time.

Paleontology

The systematic study of fossils.

Acquired Characteristics

The theory that organisms inherit changes caused by use or disuse from their parents.

Survival of the fittest

The concept that species increase in geometric proportion until limited by environmental factors.

Galapagos Islands

The location where Darwin made key observations that contributed to his evolutionary theory.

Adaptations

Characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments.

Fossils

The preserved remains of ancient organisms, indicating extinction and evolutionary relationships.

Speciation

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.