Evolution

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What is evolution?

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Evolution is the process through which species change over time through variations and natural selection.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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What is natural selection?

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Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-6

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What is adaptation?

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A trait or change in lifestyle that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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What is competition in the context of evolution?

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The struggle for existence against other members of an organism's species.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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What is divergent evolution?

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A number of different species arise from one common ancestor due to new environments causing differences to evolve in populations.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

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What is adaptive radiation?

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When many similar but distinct species evolve from a single species.

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What are homologous structures?

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Structures in different species that are similar due to shared ancestry.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

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What are vestigial structures?

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Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

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What is gene flow?

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The transfer of genetic material between populations, which can affect genetic diversity.

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What is genetic drift?

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A mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in the frequency of alleles in a population.