Preserved remains of or traces of ancient organisms
Fossils
Structures that are similar in different species of common ancestors
Homologous Structures
Who is the father of modern evolution?
Charles Darwin
Biodiversity – The variety of life in a particular habitat, ecosystem, or the entire planet, including different species, genes, and ecosystems.
Biodiversity
Referring to intermediate forms of species that show evolutionary changes between ancestral and modern species.
Transitional
Change over time; the process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient ones
Evolution
Process by which organisms that are most suited to their environment survive and reproduce successfully
Natural Selection
Give 1 example of vestigial structures found in humans...
Wisdom teeth, tail bone, appendix, nictitating membrane, coccyx, appendix, arrector pili muscle
Relating to genes or heredity; the study of how traits are inherited from one generation to another.
Genetic
The collection of fossils that provide evidence about the history of life and past environments on Earth.
Fossil record
Heritable characteristics that increase an organism's ability to survive and reproduce
Adaptation
Structure that is inherited from ancestors but which has lost much or all of its original function
Vestigial Structure
Trait that appears in recent parts of a lineage, but not in its older members
Derived Character
A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, sharing similar characteristics.
Species
Individual organisms, fossils, or biological samples used for scientific study.
Specimens
Differences in traits among individuals of a species, often due to genetic differences.
Variation
The surroundings or conditions in which an organism lives, including both living and nonliving factors.
Environment
The struggle between organisms for resources such as food, water, shelter, or mates in an ecosystem.
Competition
The idea that different species share a common ancestor from which they evolved.
Common ancestry
A group of organisms of the same species living in a specific area.
Population