Science Chapter 10 Vocab

fossil

A ___ is any remains (body parts) or other evidence (footprints / impressions) of a once living thing. Most of these are usually shells and fish bones.

climate

A biome is an area of the Earth that has a unique resources, geography, and average temperature and rainfall. The word ___ means average yearly temperature and rainfall.

index (fossils)

A fossil of an organism that is found all over the world, is easy to identify, and has a known age, can help scientists relatively date other organisms. These useful fossils are called ___ fossils.

population

A significant group of organisms from the same species, that live in the same area and share the same resources (such as shelter, food, & water), make up a(n) ___.

vestigial

A whale has tiny rear leg bones that do not work. Humans have a small organ that also has no purpose. We say that these structures are ___, which means left over and useless.

adaptaion

A(n) ___ is any change to one of your traits, which helps you survive better than before.

disease

According to Darwin, there are four major struggles that living things have to deal with in order to evolve: Predation, Competition, Loss of Habitat, and ___. Those that have special adaptations might have a better chance of surviving.

fossil record

All the fossils we find, which help us "see" evolution happens, make up what is known as the ___.

predation

Almost all organisms have to struggle to stay alive. They have to deal with competition for resources, changes in their environment, and disease. Many also have to deal with other organisms trying to eat them. This is called ___.

freezing

Anything that stops bacteria from eating a dead organisms can help turn it into a fossil. By ___ an organism, you make it so cold that bacteria can't survive, so the organism won't decay.

tar (pits)

Anything that stops bacteria from eating a dead organisms can help turn it into a fossil. If an animal falls into a ___ pit, the petroleum covers the organism and prevents bacteria from eating, so the organism is preserved.

relative (dating)

By using the law of superposition, and the known age of index fossils, we can find the approximate age of other organisms in the fossil record. Finding the approximate age is known as ___ dating.

Ecuador

Charles Darwin traveled all over the world, making observations and writing things down. But he is most famous for his visit to the country of ___, which is in South America.

HMS Beagle

Charles Darwin traveled all over the world, on a ship known as the ___.

reproduction

Darwin said that in order for a species to evolve, it can't just develop a new adaptation to survive. ___ also has to take place, so that it can pass the adaptation to future generations so it continues.

finches

Darwin studied many different animals and plants on his journey. But he is most famous for his observations concerning the evolution of beak shapes of birds called ___ on different islands.

Galapagos (Islands)

Darwin studied nature all over the world. But he is most famous for his discoveries on the ___ Islands, where he studies finches.

(natural) selection

Darwin's theories on evolution say that the environment will choose the traits that have the best chance of survival. He called his theory natural ___.

biome

Different species are adapted to the different geographies and climates where they live. An area that has a unique climate, geography, and resources is known as a(n) ___.

genetic variation

During meiosis (creation of sex cells), crossing over can occur, which mixes up genes. Mutations (mistakes) can happen as bases are copied, and mix up genes too. All of these things can lead to ___, which gives the organism/species a much better chance of survival.

comparative anatomy

Even though horses, whales, and bats don't look anything like humans, scientists are sure we come from a common ancestor. One reason is because of ___, which is when we look at similar body structures to see a relationship.

speciation

Even though members of a species look a little different from each other, they can still reproduce. But if part of a population gets isolated from the rest, and continues to adapt and evolve separately, they might change so much that they would not be able to reproduce if they were ever reunited. If this happens, a new species is formed. This process of separation and change is known as ___.

(common) ancestor

Even though whales and bats don't look anything like humans, we share a lot in common. We give birth to live young, and are warm-blooded. Scientists think its because we share a common ___.

selective (breeding)

For thousands of years, as humans have been cultivating crops and domesticating animals, they have been choosing the traits they like the best. This is how we got fast horses, juicy grapes, trainable dogs, etc. This process of humans choosing traits is known as ___ breeding.

amber

If an insect gets trapped in tree sap, the sap can prevent bacteria from eating the insect, which preserves the insect as a fossil. Hardened tree sap is also known as ___.

bacteria

Microscopic organisms called ___ are mostly to blame for dead animals decomposing and disappearing. Anything that can prevent these organisms from doing this can create a fossil.

petrification

Minerals dissolved in water can enter through pores in a bone, and then form crystals inside the bone when the water disappears. This turns the bone into a rock. This process is called ___.

compitition

One of the things that organism struggle to survive is a lack of resources like food and water. ___ is when two species fight over the same resources. The one with the better adaptation nbusually wins = "survival of the fittest".

archaeopteryx

One very important organism found in the fossil record was a half-lizard, half-bird creature called ___, that scientists believe was one of the "stages" of evolution of birds from lizards.

struggle to survive

Organisms don't usually change (evolve) unless something makes them change-disease, predators, competition, etc. Darwin called these reasons to change a(n) ___.

species

Organisms that can reproduce, and create offspring that are fertile (can also reproduce) make up a unique ___ of organisms.

DNA evidence

Scientists often compare the anatomy of humans and other mammals, to show how similar they are. Scientists can also look at ___ , which shows that humans share 99% of their genetic code with apes, 96% with horses, and even 75%+ with reptiles and birds = we're all related.

overproduction

The first stage of Darwin's theory of Natural Selection requires that a species produce many offspring. This first step gives you a better chance at surviving, and is called ___.

(law of) superposition

The law of ___ says that the oldest layers of sedimentary rock will be on the bottom, and the newest layers closer to the top. This helps us figure out the relative age of fossils in the rock.

erosion

The process where water or wind carries sediments from one location to another is called ___.

catastrophism

The theory of ___ says that the world was formed in sudden and remarkable stages, where the Earth changed very suddenly and dramatically, instead of slowly and uniformly.

uniformitarianism

The theory that says that the Earth is slowly changing, and it has always changed at the same speed, is known as ___.

weathering

To petrifiy a bone and make a fossil, rocks have to be broken into smaller and smaller pieces. The process of breaking rocks down into smaller pieces is called ___.

appendix

Whales and snakes have vestigial leg bones that prove they evolved from animals that use to walk on the Earth's surface. Humans have a vestigial organ called a(n) ___, which proves we used to have a common ancestor that ate seeds and needed this organ to help digest them.

branching diagram

When a new species forms, it makes a new section on the "tree of life". Scientists use clues they find to create a(n) ___, which shows how different species are actually related.

absolute (dating)

When you count the rings on a tree, or look at the birth certificate of a person, you are finding their exact age. It is harder to do with fossils. Finding the exact age of something is called ___ dating.

evolution

___ is the slow gradual change in a species, which occurs over a long time, as the species struggles to survive disease, predators, environmental changes, or competition for resources.

extinction

___ is when all the members of the same species die out. For example... when dinosaurs all died because of an asteriod that hit the Earth 65 million years ago.

Charles Darwin

___ was a naturalist (scientist who studies nature) who sailed around the world on the ship HMS Beagle, and discovered the theory of Natural Selection.