Evolution and Changes Over Time

Science

adaptation

a trait that helps an organism survive in its environment

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analogous structure

body parts of different species that have the same function but different structure and origin

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artificial selection

the selective breeding of organisms to produce offspring with specific traits

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biogeography

the study of the distribution of organisms on Earth

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fitness

the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

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fossil

the preserved traces and remains of an organism that lived long ago

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gradualism

the evolution of a species, as a gradual change over time

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homologous structure

a similar structure in different species, like a whale fin, bat wing and your arm

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natural selection

the individuals best suited to survive in an environment

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vestigial structure

a structure that was useful to an ancestor but is no longer functional, like the appendix

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