Evidence of Evolution

Vocabulary terms and definitions related to the evidence of evolution, covering geological, anatomical, and biological concepts.

fossil record

Record of all the fossils ever discovered on Earth.

geologic time scale

A chart that divides Earth's history into different time units based on changes in the rocks and fossils.

extinction

Event that occurs when the last individual organism of a species dies.

transitional fossil

A fossil that has characteristics of both ancestral organisms and organisms that evolved later.

comparative anatomy

The study of similarities and differences among structures of different species.

homologous structures

Body parts of organisms that are similar in structure and position but different in function.

analogous structures

Body parts that perform a similar function but differ in structure.

vestigial structure

Body part that has lost its original function through evolution.

embryology

The science of the development of embryos from fertilization to birth.