Natural Selection Flashcards
Science
A scientist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selections to explain the observed difference among living things
Charles Darwin
A chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean best known
for their impressive array of plant and animal species.
Galapagos Island
British naval vessel aboard which Charles Darwin served
as naturalist on a voyage to South America and around
the world (1831–36).
HMS Beagle
A group of organisms with similar characteristics that
are able to interbreed or exchange genetic material.
Species
A preserved part or trace of an animal or plant that
lived in the past.
Fossil
Any characteristic that helps a plant or animal survive.
Adaptation
A trait that is beneficial to an organism and will likely be chosen by natural selection
Favorable Trait
Descent with modification from preexisting species.
Evolution
Process by which organisms with favorable traits produce
more successful offspring than organisms with
less-favorable traits, causing the favorable traits to
become more common in the population.
Natural Selection
A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of
observations.
Scientific Theory
When more than one individual or population in an ecosystem relies on the same limited resource.
Competition
A group of bird species found on the Galapagos Islands
that have evolved different beak shapes and sizes to
exploit different food sources
Darwin’s Finches
A behavior trait that helps an organisms survive and
reproduce in its environment.
Behavioral Adaptation
A physical trait that helps an organisms survive and
reproduce in its environment.
Physical Adaptation
When species produce a larger number of offspring
that can physically be supported by the parents or
ecosystem.
Overproduction
A situation in which some individuals leave more
offspring in the next generation than do others, often
due to traits that confer advantages in survival.
Successful Reproduction
The variety of gene combinations that exist within a population
Genetic Variation
