natrual selection vocab

species

a group of similar organisms what can mate with eachother and produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce

evolution

change over time;process by which modern organisms have decended from ancient organisms

fossil

the preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past

adaptation

an inherited or physical behavior that helps an organism survive and reproduce in the enviroment

scientific theory

a well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results

mechanism

the natrual process by which something takes place

natrual selection

the process by which organisms that are best adapted to their enviroment are most likely to survive and reproduce

homologous structures

structures that are similar in different species and that have been inherited by common ancestors

extinct

term used to describe a group of related organisms that has died out and has no living members

endosymbiosis

a relationship in which one organism lives inside another organism cell

fossil record

all the fossils that have been discovered and what scientists have learned from them

coevolution

the process by which two species evolve in response to changes in eachother over time

sextual selection

a type of natrual selection that acts on an organisms ability to get the best possible mate

fitness

how well an organism can survive and reproduce in its enviroment