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