Chapter 15 Vocabulary Flashcards
(13 cards)
Change in kind of organism over time; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms
Evolution
Well tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations
Theory
Preserved remains or evidence of an ancient organism
Fossil
Selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from the natural variation among different organisms
Artificial selection
Competition among members of a species for food, living space, and the other necessities of life
Struggle for existence
Ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment
Fitness
Inherited characteristic that increases and organisms chance of survival
Adaptation
Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce the most successfully; also called natural selection
Survival of the fittest
Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest
Natural selection
Principal at each living species has descended, with changes, from other species overtime
Descent with modification
Principle that all living things have a common ancestor
Common descent
Structures that have different mature forms in different organisms but develop from the same embryonic tissues
Homologous structure
Organ that serves no useful function in an organism
Vestigial organ
