Evolution

how well an organism can survive and reproduce in its environment

• fossil

• fitness

• inherited trait

change in a DNA sequence that affects genetic information

• mutation

• fitness

• transformation

the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

• fitness

• natural selection

• evolution

a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring

• population

• crowd

• species

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

• analogous structure

• homologous structure

• vestigial structure

study of the distribution of organisms around the world

• herpetology

• biogeography

• evolution

the gradual change in a species over time

• natural selection

• evolution

• adaptation

inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival

• adaptation

• evolution

• fitness

All the genes, including all the different alleles for each gene, that are present in a population at any one time

• genotype

• genetic drift

• gene pool

structures that have different mature forms in different organisms but develop from the same embryonic tissues

• vestigial structure

• analogous structure

• homologous structure