Evolution
the process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise.
Charles Darwin
a scientist that made observations that helped him form a theory about how evolution happens.
Adaption
a characteristic that improves an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
Species
a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring.
Fossils
the trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock.
Vestigial Structure
A structure in an organism that has lost all or most of its original function in the course of evolution, such as human appendixes.
Natural Selection
the process by which individuals that 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.
Speciation
the formation of new species as a result of evolution.
Selective Breeding
the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired traits.
Extinct
describes a species that has died out completely.