| A | B |
|---|
| adaptive value | any trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions |
| evolution | the idea that explains how the changes in species have occurred over time |
| extinction | the disappearence of an entire species |
| fossil record | a collection of fossils that provides clues to the history of Earth's organisms |
| genetic variation | the unique combination of traits each organism inherits from its parents (more differences = better for survival) |
| geologic time | the billions of years of Earth's history |
| natural selection | individuals that survive are able to breed and pass their genetic information to the next generation |
| overproduction | the potential for a species to increase its numbers (more offspring are produced that can possibly survive) |
