Darwin's Theory of Evolution

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to Darwin's Theory of Evolution.

HMS Beagle

The ship on which Charles Darwin sailed for his groundbreaking voyage of discovery.

biological evolution

The scientific explanation for the unity and diversity of life, proposing how modern organisms have evolved through descent from common ancestors.

scientific theory

A well-established explanation of events in the natural world that can be tested by experiments and observations.

artificial selection

The process by which humans select certain traits in organisms for breeding based on desired characteristics.

natural selection

The process in which organisms with traits best suited to their environment survive and reproduce, leading to evolutionary change.

adaptation

A heritable characteristic that increases an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

descent with modification

Darwin's idea that living species are descended from common ancestors, with changes over time that lead to diversity.

homologous structures

Similar structures in different species that indicate a common ancestry, despite differing functions.

vestigial structures

Body parts that have lost their original function through the course of evolution.

analogous structures

Body parts that serve similar functions but do not share a common structure or ancestry.