Life Science Vocabulary

when random genetic mutations occur in an organism, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival

Species change over time

believed that species evolve by passing acquired characteristics to offspring

the name of the ship in which Darwin sailed on a five-year voyage collecting specimens of plants and animals; mapping the coast of South America

founder of Evolutional Theory

Individuals in a population inherit slightly different combinations of traits

inherited characteristic that improves an organism ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment

Isolation between populations due to physical barriers

separation of populations that prevents them from interbreeding and producing fertile offspring

an isolating mechanism in which two species don’t mate because of differences in courtship behaviors.

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

The branch of biology that deals with the formation, embryonic structure, early growth, and development of living organisms.

Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.

a body structure in present-day organisms that no longer serves its original purpose

Connect an offender conclusively to a crime through biological evidence

Physical evidence of evolution that exists long after the change. (think dinosaur fossils)

circumstances of too much of a population to be supported by the population’s environment.

All the members of one species in a particular area.

number of species that the resources of an ecosystem can support

group of similar organisms.

The struggle amongst organisms for the same limited resources

Random changes in DNA

a physical feature on an animal which aids survival

an alteration in function, that is hereditary, by which a species or an individual improves its condition in relation to the environment