Natural Selection Vocabulary

A process by which a population becomes better suited to its environment by increasing the frequencies of alleles that provide benefits to survival and reproduction

• natural selection

• adaptation

• generation

• genetic variation

A trait that is beneficial to an organism and will likely be chosen by natural selection

• favorable trait

• adaptation

• natural selection

• generation

Organisms of the same species that are at the same level of descent from a common ancestor; a parent is a member of one generation, and its offspring are members of the next generation

• natural selection

• adaptation

• generation

• genetic variation

The variety of gene combinations that exist within a population

• natural selection

• adaptation

• generation

• genetic variation

Process by which organisms with favorable traits produce more successful offspring than organisms with less-favorable traits, causing the favorable traits to become more common in the population

• natural selection

• adaptation

• generation

• genetic variation

A group of interacting individuals of the same species located in the same area

• population

• adaptation

• generation

• species

A group of organisms with similar characteristics that are able to interbreed or exchange genetic material

• generation

• species

• population

• trait

A characteristic of an organism; can be genetic or acquired

• trait

• species

• population

• generation

Since resources such as food, water, and space are limited, offspring must compete for the resources to survive.

• competition

• symbiosis

• natural selection

• overproduction

"Survival of the Fittest" describes which theory

• natural selection

• gravity

• heredity

• genetics