Natural Selection

a characteristic that improves an individuals ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring.

the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise.

the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geological processes.

a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the earths crust.

A genetically determined characteristic.

The human characteristic of a breeding animals or plants that have certain desired characteristics.

The process by which individuals are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do; a theory to explain the mechanism of evolution.

The period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next generation.

the formation of new species as a result of evolution.

any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects.

any method of measuring the age of an object or event in years.

the standard method used to divide the earths long natural history into manageable parts.

describes a species that has died out completely.

the theory that explains how large pieces of the earths outer most layer called tectonic plates move and change shape.

a type of mammal characterized by opposable thumbs and binocular vision.

a type of primate characterized by bipedalism, relatively long lower limbs, and a lack of tail.

the species of hominids that includes modern humans and their closest ancestors and that first appears about 100,000-160,000 years ago.