Vocabulary
This is a change in DNA that can sometimes lead to new traits.
Mutation
Populations produce more offspring than can survive.
Overproduction
Helps the animal blend into its surroundings to avoid predators.
Concealing Coloration
Similar body parts that suggest common ancestry.
Homologous Structures
In natural selection, who is most likely to survive?
the organism with the best traits for its environment
When organisms fight for limited resources like food, water, or shelter.
Competition
Individuals in a population show differences.
Variation
When an animal copies the look or actions of a harmful animal to scare predators
Mimicry
Body parts that once had a function but are now not used, like the appendix.
Vestigial Structures
Over time, helpful traits become more common. Why?
because those with helpful traits survive and reproduce more
A helpful trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.
Adaptation
Favorable adaptations are selected and help organisms survive.
Survival of the Fittest
Stripes or patterns break up the animal’s outline, making it harder to spot.
Disruptive Coloration
What do structures like a whale’s flipper and a human arm prove?
They came from a common ancestor
What happens to individuals in a population who do not have traits that help them survive?
they are less likely to survive and have offspring
Differences between individuals in a population.
Variations
In a cold environment, animals with thick fur survive better. What will happen to this trait over time?
it will become more common in the population
A polar bear has thick fur and a layer of fat. What kind of adaptation is this? physical or behavioral?
physical
What type of evidence comes from bones, imprints, and preserved remains of organisms?
Fossils
If a population of insects is sprayed with pesticide and a few survive, what might happen in future generations?
the survivors pass on their resistance, and the population becomes harder to kill
The process by which species change over time.
Evolution
Explain how camouflage can increase an animal’s chance of surviving and reproducing
it helps the animal hide from predators and prey, so it’s more likely to survive and have offspring
Give one example of a behavioral adaptation and explain how it helps the animal survive.
migration (or hibernation, or hunting in packs)—it helps the animal survive changes in food, weather, or danger
What do similar DNA sequences between two species suggest?
What do similar DNA sequences between two species suggest?
A group of lizards moves to an area with dark rocks. Over time, most become dark-colored. Why?
The dark-colored lizards were harder to see and survived more