Chapter 7 study guide

Question 1

a group of similar organisms that can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring

Answer 1

species

Question 2

the preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past

Answer 2

fossil

Question 3

a trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment

Answer 3

adaptation

Question 4

the gradual change in a species over time

Answer 4

evolution

Question 5

a well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations

Answer 5

scientific theory

Question 6

when individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species

Answer 6

natural selection

Question 7

a difference between individuals of the same species

Answer 7

variation

Question 8

the comparison of the structures of different organisms

Answer 8

comparative anatomy

Question 9

similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor

Answer 9

homologous structures

Question 10

a hollow area in sediment in the shape of an organism or part of an organism

Answer 10

mold

Question 11

a solid copy of the shape of an organism

Answer 11

cast

Question 12

fossils in which minerals replace all or part of an organism

Answer 12

petrified fossil

Question 13

provide evidence or the activities of ancient organism

Answer 13

trace fossil

Question 14

scientists who study fossils

Answer 14

paleontologist

Question 15

a hypothesis that proposes that evolution occurs slowly but steadily

Answer 15

gradualism

Question 16

a hypothesis that proposes that species evolve quickly during relatively short periods

Answer 16

punctuated equilibria

Question 17

the specific environment that provides the things the organism need to liv,e grow, and reproduce.

Answer 17

habitat

Question 18

when no members of that species are still alive

Answer 18

extinct

Question 19

the process of grouping things based on their similarities

Answer 19

classification

Question 20

the scientific study of how living things are classified

Answer 20

taxonomy

Question 21

a two part naming system

Answer 21

binomial nomenclature

Question 22

a classification grouping that contains similar, closely related organisms

Answer 22

genus

Question 23

organisms whose cells lack a nucleus

Answer 23

prokaryote

Question 24

organisms cells that contain nuclei

Answer 24

eukaryote

Question 25

a chart that shows probable evolutionary relationships among organisms

Answer 25

branching tree diagram

Question 26

usually a homologous structure, such as a backbone, that is shared by all organisms in a group

Answer 26

shared derived characteristic