Evolution Latest Update Graded A+

Evolution Latest Update Graded A+ species A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring. fossil A trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock adaptation A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce evolution Change in a kind of organism over time; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms. scientific theory A well tested concept that explains a wide range of observations natural selection Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest artificial selection Selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from the natural variation among different organisms variation Difference among members of a species. homologous structures Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry. gradualism The theory that evolution occurs slowly but steadily punctuated equilibrium Pattern of evolution in which long stable periods are interrupted by brief periods of more rapid change Charles Darwin Traveled to the Galapagos Islands on the HMS Beagle and later wrote the book "The Origin of Species." Overproduction Strategy in which organisms make more offspring than will actually survive. Competition Driving force of natural selection in which organisms fight for food, water, and living space Alfred Russel Wallace British naturalist who developed a hypothesis of natural selection similar to Darwin's Fossil Record All the fossils throughout the history of the Earth that are used as evidence of evolution. Common Ancestor An ancestral species from which later species evolved Embryology Study of developing embryos used as evidence of evolution. Vestigial Structures A structure that is present in an organism but no longer serves its original purpose (ex. hip bones in whales) DNA Genetic information that can be used as evidence of evolution between organisms. Isolation When members of a species become separated which may lead to the evolution of new species. Evidence of Evolution 1) Fossil Record 2) Embryology 3) Homologous Structures 4) DNA 5) Vestigial Structures Barrier something that blocks the way; an obstacle (mountains, rivers, etc.)