Evolution and Natural Selection Flashcard

The process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully.

The differences in DNA among individuals within a population or species.

It increases a species' chance of survival by making it better suited to its environment.

To organize living organisms into groups based on their similarities and evolutionary history.

A theory that suggests all current continents were once part of a single supercontinent.

The change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

A change in the DNA sequence that can lead to new traits in an organism.

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Fossils provide evidence of past life forms and show how species have changed over time.

Artificial selection is the process by which humans breed specific traits, while natural selection is the process by which nature selects traits that enhance survival.