A Voyage of Discovery

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Evolution Noun

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[ev-uh-loo-shun]

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Evolution

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The process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms, representing a change in heritable traits over time.

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Example: This diagram shows how different finches evolved unique beak shapes (adaptation) to eat specific foods available in their environment, like seeds, insects, or fruit.

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Fossil Noun

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[fos-uhl]

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Fossil

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The preserved remains or traces of an ancient organism, often found in sedimentary rock, providing evidence of past life.

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Example: This image shows the preserved, mineralized remains of an ancient sea creature called an ammonite, revealing its spiral shell structure.

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Biodiversity Noun

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[bahy-oh-di-vur-si-tee]

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Biodiversity

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The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem, encompassing genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

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Example: This ecosystem shows high biodiversity because it contains many different species of plants and animals, from fish in the water to birds in the sky.

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Species Noun

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[spee-sheez]

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Species

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A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding to produce fertile offspring.

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Example: This diagram shows that although the Carrion crow and Hooded crow look different, they can interbreed and produce hybrid offspring, questioning if they are truly separate species.

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Habitat Noun

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[hab-i-tat]

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Habitat

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The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism, providing the resources needed for survival.

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Example: This illustration shows a habitat by depicting a forest and pond environment where various animals like bears, deer, and fish live and find food and shelter.

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Biogeography Noun

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[bahy-oh-jee-og-ruh-fee]

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Biogeography

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The scientific study of the past and present geographic distribution of organisms and the factors that influence their locations.

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Example: This image shows how the camel family originated in North America and migrated to other continents, explaining how related species (camels, llamas) live far apart.

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Natural Selection Noun

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[nach-er-uhl si-lek-shun]

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Natural Selection

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The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring, driving evolutionary change.

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Example: In a population of giraffes, the one with the longest neck can reach food and survive (✓), while shorter-necked giraffes cannot and are less likely to survive (✗).

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Variation Noun

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[vair-ee-ey-shun]

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Variation

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Any difference in heritable traits between individual organisms within the same species, providing the raw material for natural selection.

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Example: Within a group of organisms like beetles, individuals show a wide range of differences in their traits, such as color, size, and shape.

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Extinct Adjective

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[ik-stingkt]

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Extinct

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Describing a species, family, or other group of organisms that has no living members anywhere in the world.

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Example: This image shows a woolly mammoth, an animal that no longer exists, and provides its extinction date to clearly define the term 'extinct'.

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Common Ancestor Noun

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[kom-uhn an-ses-ter]

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Common Ancestor

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An ancestral species from which two or more different species evolved, representing a shared point in their evolutionary history.

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Example: This diagram shows that different species, like humans and chimpanzees, can evolve from a single, shared ancestral species that lived in the past.