Natural Selection and Evolution Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, entities, and examples related to Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Charles Darwin

The scientist known for proposing the theory of evolution by natural selection after developing his ideas from a voyage on the HMS Beagle.

Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

An explanation of how organisms change over time based on traits that help them survive and reproduce in their environment.

On the Origin of Species

The work associated with C. Darwin regarding who proposed natural selection.

Peppered Moths

A species that demonstrated evolution through natural selection during the Industrial Revolution as soot darkened trees and dark-colored individuals gained better camouflage.

Industrial Melanism

The change in color of peppered moths during the Industrial Revolution, serving as an example of natural selection driven by environmental change.

Inheritance

The process by which traits, such as fur color, height, beak shape, or body size, are passed naturally from parents to offspring through genes.

Variation

Differences among organisms in a population that help populations survive, adapt, and give certain individuals an advantage when the environment changes.

HMS Beagle

The ship on which Charles Darwin took a famous journey to observe different plants and animals around the world.