Evolution and Natural Selection

Front

What is adaptation?

Back

The process by which organisms adjust to changes in their environment in order to survive and reproduce.

Front

What is evolution?

Back

The process of change in all forms of life over generations.

Front

How did Darwin's finches help support his theory of evolution?

Back

The size and shape of their beaks varied due to the different environments they lived.

Front

What is speciation?

Back

The process by which new species are formed from existing ones.

Front

Which of the following is evidence of a common ancestor?

Back

All of these: Vestigial structures, Fossil record, Similarities in the embryo.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Front

What are vestigial structures?

Back

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution.

Front

What is genetic variation?

Back

Differences in DNA among individuals within a species.

Front

What is the role of mutations in evolution?

Back

Mutations are changes in DNA that can lead to new traits, contributing to genetic variation.

Front

What is the fossil record?

Back

The history of life as documented by fossils, providing evidence for evolution.