Evolution Vocabulary

Group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.

• species
• gene pool
• population
• homologous structure

An example of a homologous structure 

• human arm and bird wing
• rat appendix  and human appendix
• wing of butterfly and bird wing

What is an inherited characteristic that helps organisms survive?

• Evolution

• Adaptation

• Natural Selection

• Extinction

Evolution is...

• changes over time in populations

• natural process that passes unfavorable traits

• historical timeline of fossils

• the process in which an animal dies out

What can we learn from studying fossils?

• how earth's environment has changed
• how hurricanes form
• what causes earthquakes
• how the solar system has changed

What do paleontologists study?

• space
• fossils
• atmosphere
• weather

The remains or imprints of once living organisms are called:

• fossil record
• characteristic
• ecosystem 
• fossil

Natural selection is the process that passes down ____________________ traits.

• Same

• Old

• Useless

• Favorable

Evolved from different ancestors, but due to living in similar environments have a similar function.

• Homologous structures

• Analogous structures

• Vestigial structures

• All of the above

A mistake or change that occurs in the DNA sequence is called a ______________________.

• Extinction

• Speciation

• Mutation

• Genetic Variation