17 Flashcards
1
Q
heritable characteristics that increase an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in an environment
A
Adaptation
2
Q
body parts that share a common function, but not an evolutionary history
A
Analogous structure
3
Q
structures that are similar in
different species of common ancestors
A
Homologous structure
4
Q
how well an organism can survive and reproduce in its environment
A
Fitness
5
Q
process by which organisms that are most suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest
A
Natural selection
6
Q
structure that is inherited from ancestors but which has lost much or all of its original function
A
Vestigial structure
7
Q
study of past and present distribution of organisms
A
Biogeography
