Natural Selection

A species is a group of animals that can mate and produce fertile offspring.

Changes in temperature or the introduction of a new species or predator can affect the ability of an organism to survive

Organisms that are related or share a common ancestor have similar DNA structures.

Animals have more babies than could possibly survive. This helps to ensure that the parent’s genes will be carried on.

Food, space, and other resources are limited. Organisms must compete for these things in order to survive.

Species evolve rapidly over a short period of time and then don’t change much for a while.

These are traits or body structures that an organism inherits from a common ancestor, but no longer needs anymore.

How things change over time.

Individuals that are better adapted to their environments are more likely to survive and reproduce more than others

Evolution that happens very slowly. Small changes add up to big changes over time.

Comparing fossils is one way to prove that evolution has occurred.

_____cause individuals to be born different and increase the chance of survival for some organisms while hurting others

Members of the same species differ from one another in many of their traits, such as size, color, abilities.

Similar body structures that organisms have inherited from a common ancestor. For example, cats and dogs both have ribs.

Humans have carefully bred dogs over hundreds of years in order to produce the German Shepherd. This is an example of __