Fossil Record An incomplete list of all the Fossils ever discovered on Earth

Carbonization When dead organisms are compressed over time and only an outline or imprint remains.

Biologic Evolution The changes over time of populations of related organisms.

Trace Fossils The preserved evidence of the activity of an organism

Mineralization Rock forming minerals dissolved in groundwater can fill in the tissues of dead organisms. An example would be petrified wood.

Catastrophism The idea that conditions and organisms on Earth change suddenly due to violent geologic (sudden) events. Examples include: mass volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts

Mold and Cast Fossils When sediments harden around a buried fossil. This sediment can be filled later by new sediment creating another fossil.

Original Material Fossils The preserved tissues of an organism. Often times from organisms trapped in amber, tar its, or ice.

Uniformitarianism The principal that states geologic processes of today, are similar to those that occurred in the past. Examples include: plate tectonics, glaciation, rock cycle.

Geologic Time Scale A chart that divides Earth’s 4.6 billion year history into eras and periods

Adaptation a helpful variation, inherited trait that increases an organisms chance of surviving and reproducing in its environment

Camouflage a structural adaptation that enables a species to blend in with its environment.

Behavioral Adaptation The jackrabbit stays still during the hottest part of the day to conserve energy. one type of adaptation that involves the way an organism behaves or acts. Example – Hunting at night, moving herds, and physical aggression towards other wormeaters 

Extinction When the last organism of a species dies out.

Example of Camouflage A seahorse that is the same color and a similar texture to the coral that it is resting on. This allows the seahorse to avoid being eaten.

Functional Adaptation The blood vessels in the jackrabbits ears expand to enable the blood to cool before re-entering the body. one type of adaptation that involves internal body system that affect biochemistry Example - dropping body temperature to hibernate.

Example of Mimicry When a caterpillar resembles a snake. Predators see the caterpillar and are scared away.

Natural Selection The process by which populations of organisms with variations help them survive in their environments, live longer, compete better, and reproduce more than those that do not have the variation.

Mimicry a structural adaptation where animals are able to resemble another species.

Structural Adaptation one type of adaptation that involves color, shape, and physical characteristics – Example – shape of a tortoise neck Jackrabbits powerful legs help it run fast to escape predators.

Analogous Structures are body parts that perform a similar function but differ in structure.

Pharyngeal Pouches are parts of an embryo that all vertebrates have at one stage of development. This feature develops into different parts of the body for the vertebrates.

Comparative Anatomy is the study of similarities and differences among structures of living species.

Embryology is the science of the development of embryos from fertilization to birth.

Vestigial Structure are body parts that have lost their original function through biologic evolution.

Homologous Structures are body parts of organisms that are similar in structure and position but different in function.

Example of Vestigial Structure The modern toothed whale has tiny pelvic bones inside its body. Pelvic bones are hip bones which attach the leg bones to the body. Whales do not have legs. The pelvic bones would suggest that whales came from ancestors that used legs for walking on land.

Example of Homologous Structures The fingerlike bones of a bat are much longer than the bones in other animals. The finger and hand bones of a human are very flexible and include an opposable thumb, which is a thumb that bends in a perpendicular direction to the other fingers which allows the human hand to grasp objects. Objects, such as, a Coke Zero to bring to your favorite teacher. The fingers have similar structure, but differ in function.

Relevance of the Pharyngeal Pouch Because embryos of different species often resemble each other at different stages of development, (especially the first stage) Scientists believe that they share a common ancestor.

Example of Analogous Structures When comparing the wings of birds and fly we know that both are used for flight. However, bird wings are cover with feathers. Fly wings are covered with tiny hairs. Body parts perform similar functions but differ in structure.