Evolution Review

Front

What is Evolution?

Back

Change over time in the characteristics of a species.

Front

What are vestigial structures?

Back

Features present in modern organisms that are no longer in use, such as hind leg bones in whales.

Front

What is the evidence for evolution?

Back

Fossils, embryology, homologous structures, and DNA.

Front

What do scientists find when comparing ancient ferns to modern ferns?

Back

That they have changed over time.

Front

What are homologous structures?

Back

Body parts in different species that are similar in structure but may have different functions, indicating a common ancestor.

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What are analogous structures?

Back

Body parts in different species that have similar functions but different structures, indicating no common ancestor.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

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What is adaptation?

Back

A change in a species that makes it better suited to its environment.

Front

What is a fossil?

Back

The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past.

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What is embryology?

Back

The study of embryos and their development, which can show similarities between different species.