Front

What are homologous structures?

Back

Structures in different species that share a common ancestry, but may serve different functions, such as the human arm and whale fin.

Front

What are analogous structures?

Back

Structures in different species that serve similar functions but do not share a common ancestry, such as the wings of birds and insects.

Front

What are vestigial structures?

Back

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution, like the human appendix.

Front

What is biogeography?

Back

The study of how and why plants and animals live where they do, considering factors like climate and geography.

Front

What is a common ancestor?

Back

An ancestral species from which two or more species have evolved, such as the dog-like creature from which whales and dolphins descended.

Front

What is adaptive radiation?

Back

The process by which a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

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

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What is evolution?

Back

The change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Front

What is a fossil?

Back

The preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past, providing evidence for evolution.

Front

What is speciation?

Back

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.