| A | B |
|---|
| evolution | process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms |
| theory | well-supported testable explanation of phenomena that occur in the world |
| fossil | preserved remains of an ancient organism |
| artificial selection | human breeders chose differences found in organisms to produce offspring with those differences |
| struggle for existence | members of populations compete for food, living space, and othe life necessities |
| fitness | the ability to survive and reproduce in a specific environment |
| adaptation | any inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival |
| survival of the fittest | individuals best suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully |
| natural selection | environment chooses the inherited variations that increase chance of survival |
| descent with modification | living species have descended with changes from other species over time |
| common descent | all species, living and extinct, were dereived from common ancestors |
| homologous structure | have different mature forms and functions but develop from the same embryological tissues |
| vestigial organ | organs that are reduced in size as they have little or no function in existing species |
| use and disuse | Lamarck's idea that organs can be changed if used in different ways |
| inheritance of acquired traits | Lamarck's idea that changes developed in lifetime can be passed to offspring |
| Malthus | populations will out grow their food supplies and living space if allowed to grow unchecked |
| Uniformitarianism | Huttons idea that gelogical forces today are the same as those that shaped the Earth |
