Charles Darwin

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Species Noun

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[spee-sheez]

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Species

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

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Example: This diagram shows that two different-looking crows can mate and have hybrid babies, which helps explain that a 'species' is a group that can reproduce together.

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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 of change over time by which modern organisms have descended from ancient ancestral organisms.

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Example: This rare, spotted zebra foal shows genetic variation within a species. This natural difference is the raw material for evolution by natural selection.

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Naturalist Noun

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[nach-er-uh-list]

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Naturalist

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A person who studies plants, animals, and other organisms as they live in their natural environment.

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Example: A naturalist is a scientist, like Charles Darwin, who observes and documents organisms and their interactions in their natural environment.

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Specimens Noun

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[spes-uh-muhns]

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Specimens

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Individual examples of an animal, plant, or mineral used for scientific study or display.

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Example: Charles Darwin collected many specimens, like these different beetles, to study their variations and understand how life evolves.

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Fossils Noun

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[fos-uhls]

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Fossils

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The preserved remains, impressions, or traces of organisms that lived in the distant geological past.

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Example: This diagram shows fossil succession, where different fossils are found in specific rock layers, with the oldest at the bottom, providing evidence for evolution.

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Diversity Noun

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[dih-vur-si-tee]

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Diversity

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The variety of life within a particular habitat, ecosystem, or the entire world.

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Example: This coral reef ecosystem shows high diversity, with many different species of coral, fish, and plants living together in one environment.

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Extinct Adjective

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[ik-stingkt]

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Extinct

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Referring to a species, family, or other group of organisms that has no living members remaining.

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Example: This image shows a woolly mammoth, an animal that no longer exists, to explain the concept of extinction, a key idea in Darwin's theory.

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Theory Noun

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[theer-ee]

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Theory

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A well-supported, testable explanation of phenomena confirmed through observation and experimentation.

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Example: This diagram shows five different types of learning theories, such as behaviorism and cognitive learning, branching from a central idea of learning.

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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 descendant species have evolved over time.

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Example: This diagram shows that both modern humans and chimpanzees evolved from a single "common ape ancestor" that lived millions of years ago.

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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 with beneficial traits are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass those traits on.

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Example: This image shows that giraffes with longer necks can reach food and survive, while those with shorter necks cannot. This demonstrates natural selection.