Evolution Vocabulary

Trace of an organism from the past.

• Fossil
• Fitness
• Convergent Evolution
• Divergent Evolution

Measure of an organism's ability to survive and produce offspring relative to other members of a population.

• Fossil
• Fitness
• Convergent Evolution
• Divergent Evolution

Evolution toward similar characteristics in unrelated species, resulting from adaptations to similar environmental conditions.

• Fossil
• Fitness
• Convergent Evolution
• Divergent Evolution

Evolution of one or more closely related species into different species; resulting from adaptations to different environmental conditions.

• Fossil
• Fitness
• Convergent Evolution
• Divergent Evolution

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-4

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

Mechanism by which individuals that have inherited beneficial adaptations produce more offspring on average than do other individuals.

• Natural Selection
• Evolution
• Adaptation
• Artificial Selection

Change in a species over time; process of biological change by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors.

• Natural Selection
• Evolution
• Adaptation
• Artificial Selection

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-2

NGSS.HS-LS4-4

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

inherited trait that is selected for over time because it allows organisms to better survive in their environment.

• Natural Selection
• Evolution
• Adaptation
• Artificial Selection

Process by which humans modify a species by breeding it for certain traits.

• Natural Selection
• Evolution
• Adaptation
• Artificial Selection

Body part that is similar in structure on different organisms but performs different functions.

• Homologous Structure
• Analogous Structure
• Vestigial Structure
• Embryology

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Body part that is similar in function as a body part of another organism but is structurally different.

• Homologous Structure
• Analogous Structure
• Vestigial Structure
• Embryology

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2