| A | B |
|---|
| adaptive value | any trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions |
| evolution | the process by which species have changed over time |
| extinction | the disappearance of all members of a species from Earth |
| fossil records | the collection of fossils used to represent Earth's history |
| genetic variation | the normal differences found among offspring |
| geologic time | Earth's history as revealed by layers of rock |
| mutation | any alteration in the sequence of DNA |
| natural selection | process by which organisms best adapted to an environment survive and produce more offspring than an organism not as well adapted |
| overproduction | potential for a species to increase its number beyond the carrying capacity of an area |
