Common Ancestry

Front

What is common ancestry?

Back

The concept that different species share a common ancestor, indicating that they have evolved from a shared lineage.

Front

Why are advantageous traits more likely to be passed onto offspring?

Back

Because they are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Front

What type of organism is most likely to leave a fossil sample?

Back

A tooth.

Front

What does the fossil record provide information about?

Back

It provides information about the ancestry of organisms and their existence in the past.

Front

What are fossils?

Back

The preserved remains of animals, plants, and other organisms from the past, such as bones, teeth, and impressions.

Front

What is an adaptation?

Back

A trait that enhances an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Front

Give an example of an adaptation.

Back

A hare turning from brown to white in the winter.

Front

What is a vestigial structure?

Back

A structure that has lost most or all of its original function through the course of evolution.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

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

Front

What is a homologous structure?

Back

An anatomical feature in different species that is similar due to shared ancestry.