Evolution Flashcards
Permanent changes in an organisms DNA
Example: A person born with downs syndrome.
Mutation
A trait an organism has that helps it to survive in an environment.
Example: Cows have three stomachs because it only eats grass to get all of its nutrients.
Adaptation
A group of similar organisms that can breed with each other.
Example: Dogs can breed with another dog but a cat can not breed with a dog so they are not the same species.
Species
A change in a species over time.
Example: People evolved from apes.
Evolution
The end of a species
Example: Tasmanian Tigers no longer exist
Extinct
Remains of life from an earlier time.
Example: The most common type of fossils found in this area are those of sea shells enclosed in rock.
Fossil
Body parts that are similar in origin and structure/does not need to be used for the same purpose.
Example: Human arm bones are used for grabbing things but whale arm bones are used for swimming.
Homologous Structures
Body part no longer in use but present in a reduced form.
Example: The human tail bone, we don’t need it but it is there from earlier in time when we needed it.
Vestigial Structures
Individuals with traits best adapted to a specific environment survive and pass on traits to their offspring.
Example: If you live in a place where you need to run fast from a predator but aren’t fast you will die but those who survive will produce offspring that are fast.
Natural Selection
Differences in an inherited trait of individuals in a population.
Example: I have brown hair you have blond hair.
Variation
A group of organisms of the same species that live together in a certain area. They mate with each other.
Example: People in New York would be a population.
Population
