natural selection Flashcards
adaption
the act or process of changing to better suit a situation
Species
a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding
Evolution
the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations
fossil
the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock
fossil record
The fossil record helps paleontologists, archaeologists, and geologists place important events and species in the appropriate geologic era
trait
a distinguishing quality or characteristic
Selective Breeding
choosing parents with particular characteristics to breed together and produce offspring with more desirable characteristics
natural selection
the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring
generation time
generation time is the average time between two consecutive generations in the lineages of a population
speciation
the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution
relative dating
the process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another
absoltute dating
the process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology
geoligic time scale
the “calendar” for events in Earth history
extinct
having no living members; no longer in existence
tectonic plates
a scientific theory that explains how major landforms are created as a result of Earth’s subterranean movements
