evolution vocabulary
The change of species over time
evolution
what animal did Darwin study.
finches
what does survival of the fittest mean
It means that the fittest organisms are most fit to survive in their environment and then go on to reproduce.
how long is a half-life
5700 years
the preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past
fossils
any change in the DNA of an organism
Mutation
what boat did he sail on
HMS Beagle
Darwin's hypothesis is what
He hypothesized that separate species may have originated from a singular ancestor
fossils provide a sequence of life known as...
The geological time scale
the process where scientists look at the half-life of chemicals contained in rocks around fossils to determine the age of the fossils
radioactive dating
behavior or physical characteristics that allows an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment
adaptations
what islands did he find the animals on
Galapagos Islands
When an animal blends in with its background
concealing coloration
what happens when Carbon-14 decays
It becomes nitrogen-14
gaps in the fossil record
missing link
any difference between organisms of the same species
variation
what was Charles Darwin originally looking for or doing
he wanted to sail around the world
when an animal copies the form of something or someone else
mimicry
the older the fossil is, the farther down in the rock layers. So, organisms that resemble the living creatures of ________________ are mostly found in the ___ layers while more ______________ forms are found _____ in the rock layers.
1. today
2. top
3. ancestral
4. lower
similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor (example bones in birds wings, dolphin fins, and dog legs are all very similar)
homologous structures
the variety of organisms that inhabit all of earth
diversity
what did Darwin study and notice about finches
Darwin noticed the beaks and the shapes and adaptations for each finch on each island because the food source was different, so all the beaks were different.
when an organism's color is broken up with spots, stripes, or patterns which can confuse and conceal when alone or in a group
disruptive coloration
what rocks are fossils found in
sedimentary rock
a process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than others that are not
Natural Selection