7th Grade Life Science Unit 5: Evolution - Academic Vocabulary

A collection of flashcards designed to help students review key vocabulary terms related to evolution in life science.

Evolution

Scientific theory explaining the process of change in a species over time.

Charles Darwin

Naturalist who developed the theory of evolution through natural selection.

Adaptation

A trait that improves an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Extinction

The permanent loss of a species when its last member dies.

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Fossil

Remains or traces of ancient organisms preserved in sedimentary rock.

Fossil Record

The history of life as documented by fossils.

Relative Dating

Determining the age of a fossil based on its position in sedimentary rock layers.

Radioactive Dating (Absolute)

A method for determining the actual age of a fossil by measuring the decay of carbon.

Natural Selection

The process through which beneficial traits become more common in a population.

Artificial Selection

The intentional breeding of organisms to produce desired traits.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.

Variation

Differences in physical traits among individuals of a population.

Homologous Structures

Similar physical features resulting from common ancestry.

Vestigial Structures

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

Cladogram

A diagram showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species.