Evolution and the Fossil Record

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering evolution, Darwin's theory, fossilization, dating methods, and natural selection based on lecture notes.

Species

A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile organisms.

Fossil

The preserved remains or trace of an organism from the remote past.

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce.

Evolve

A change in the inherited characteristics of a population over time.

Scientific theory

A well tested concept that explains a wide range of observation.

Natural selection

The process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species.

Variation

Any difference between individuals.

Homologous structures

Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor.

Branching tree

A diagram that shows how scientists think different groups of organisms are related.

Punctuated equilibria

The theory that species evolve during short periods of rapid change.

Petrified fossil

A fossil formed when materials replace all or part of an organism.

Mold

A type of fossil formed when a shell or other hard part of an organism dissolves, leaving an empty space in the shape of the part.

Cast

A type of fossil that forms when a mold becomes filled in with minerals that then harden.

Relative dating

A technique that determines which of two fossils is the older.

Radioactive dating

A dating technique that determines the actual age of fossils by comparing the amount of a radioactive element in a sample to the amount of the element into which it breaks down.

Half-life

The time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample to decay.

Fossil record

Millions of fossils that scientists have collected.

Extinct

A term describing a species that has no members left on the fossil record.

Gradualism

The theory that evolution occurs slowly but steadily.

Charles Darwin

A naturalist who studied the natural world, learning what he could about living things, and developed the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Theory of evolution by natural selection

The theory developed by Charles Darwin explaining how organisms change over time.

The Origin of Species

The major book published by Charles Darwin.

Galapagos Islands

The islands where Darwin spent time observing finches & tortoises.

Competition

The interaction where members of a species must compete to survive because food and other resources are limited.

Direct competition

A type of competition between organisms that is physical in nature.

Indirect competition

A type of competition where survival involves challenges like not finding enough food or being caught by predators.

Environmental change

A condition where a species adjusts to or survives a specific type of environment it is not used to, allowing a few surviving members to begin reproducing.

Factors that affect natural selection

The three critical factors: overproduction, competition, and variations.

Overproduction

One of the three factors that affect natural selection alongside competition and variations.

Geographic isolation

A process that can form new species when a group of individuals remains isolated from the rest of its species long enough to evolve different traits.

Mass extinctions

Events when many types of organisms become extinct at the same time.

Causes of mass extinctions

Major climate changes, such as an asteroid impact or volcanic eruptions.

Evidence supporting evolutionary relationships

Physical features shared between different species that indicate descent from a common ancestor.

Examples of homologous structures

Human arms, cat legs, bird wings, and whale flippers.

Accumulation of helpful variations

The process occurring over a long time where natural selection leads to change and helpful traits gradually build up within a species.