NATURAL SELECTION Flashcards
What is a fossil?
A fossil is the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geological processes.
What is a fossil record?
A fossil record is a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the Earth’s crust.
What is a trait?
A trait is a genetically determined characteristic.
What is selective breeding?
Selective breeding is the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired characteristics.
What is generation time?
Generation time is the period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next generation.
What does it mean to go extinct?
A species that has died out completely would be described as extinct.
What is the geologic time scale?
The geologic time scale is the standard method used to divide the Earth’s long natural history into manageable parts.
What is plate tectonics?
Plate tectonics is the theory that explains how large pieces of the Earth’s outermost layer, called tectonic plates, move and change shape.
What is evolution?
Evolution is the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such as that new species arise.
What is adaptation?
An adaptation is a characteristic that improves an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
What is a species?
A species is a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring.
What is relative dating?
Absolute dating is any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other objects or events
What is absolute dating?
Absolute dating is any method of measuring the age of an object or event in years.
What is a primate?
A primate is a type of mammal characterized by opposable
thumbs and binocular vision.
What is a hominid?
A hominid is a type of primate characterized by bipedalism, relatively long lower limbs, and a lack of a tail.
