Adaptations over Time

any variation that makes an organism better suited to its environment

change in inherited characteristics over time

hypothesis that describes evolution as a slow ongoing process by which one species changes to a new species

theory that states that organisms with traits best suited to their environments are more likely to survive and reproduce

hypothesis that says rapid evolution caomes about when the mutaion of a few genes results in the appearance of a new species over a relatively short period of time

group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can reproduce among themselves to produce fertile offspring

inherited trait that makes an individual different from other members of its species

the study of embryos and their development

body parts that are similar in origin and structure

an element that gives off a steady amount of radiation as it slowly changes to a nonradioactive element

rock in which most fossils are found, formed when layers of sand, silt, clay, or mud are pressed and cemented together, or when minerals are deposited from a solution

structures that do not seem to have a function

humanlike primates that lived abour 4 million to 6 million years ago and were different from the other primates

direct ancestors of humans

group of mammals to which humans, monkeys, and apes belong