Chapter 5

Question 1

a characteristic that improves an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment

Answer 1

adaptation

Question 2

a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring

Answer 2

species

Question 3

the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise

Answer 3

evolution

Question 4

the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geological processes

Answer 4

fossil

Question 5

a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the Earth’s crust

Answer 5

fossil record

Question 6

a genetically determined characteristic

Answer 6

trait

Question 7

the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired characteristics

Answer 7

selective breeding

Question 8

the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do; a theory to explain the mechanism of evolution

Answer 8

natural selection

Question 9

the period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next generation

Answer 9

generation time

Question 10

the formation of new species as a result of evolution

Answer 10

speciation