the observable traits of an organism passed on from parent to offspring
Phenotype
when species evolve or change in order to survive as their surroundings have changed; they pass the desired traits on to their offspring
natural selection
The members of a plant or animal group that can best deal with harsh conditions will survive
survival of the fittest
the many different types of life that exist in an environment
biodiversity
when a gene is altered, changing the original DNA code
mutation
range of differences in DNA among organisms
genetic variation
the changing traits that allow a species to survive
adaptation
an evolutionary process where one species branches into two that no longer interbreed
speciation
the theory that Earth's crust is made up of individual plates that gradually move in relation to each other
Theory of Plate Tectonics
in undisturbed rock layers, each layer is younger than the layer beneath it, and older than the layer above it
Law of Superposition
large areas of rock that make up Earth's crust and move across the mantle
Tectonic Plates
the movement of Earth's continents relative to each other
continental drift
the large supercontinent at the end of the Paleozoic Era consisting of all the land on Earth
Pangaea
to group things based on similar characteristics; taxonomy; binomial nomenclature
System of Classification
the actual or hypothetical form or stock from which an organism has developed or descended
Common Ancestry
all life on Earth developed from preexisting life
Theory of Evolution
a group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can mate with each other to produce offspring
Species
A naturalist who came up with the Theory of Evolution and the idea of Natural Selection. Published a famous book called "The Origin of Species"
Charles Darwin
similarities and differences in body structures of organisms living today with organisms from between now and the fossil record
Comparative Anatomy
the study of unborn or unhatched young and their development
Embryology
the activity of classification: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
Taxonomy
new species of life develop from a common ancestor over time, this is a result of a process called natural selection.
Biological Evolution
how Earth has changed over time; evidence includes rock layers, tectonic plates, fossils, ice cores
Geological Evolution