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