chapter 7-8 Flashcards
adaptation
a characteristic that improves an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
species
a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring.
evolution
the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise.
fossil
the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geological processes.
fossil record
a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the earth’s crust.
trait
a genetically determined characteristic.
selective breeding
the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired characteristics.
natural selection
the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well-adapted individuals do.
generation time
the period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next.
speciation
the formation of new species as a result of evolution.
relative dating
any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects.
absolute dating
any method of measuring the age of an object or event in years.
geologic time scale
the standard method used to divide the earth’s long natural history into manageable parts.
extinct
describes a species that has died out completely.
plate tectonics
the theory that explains how large pieces of the earth’s outermost layer, called tectonic plates, move and change shape.
