adaptation
the process of an organism changing to suit its environment, a biological change that increases an organism’s chances of survival, or a creative work changed into a new form, such as a novel being made into a film.
Species
a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
evolution
the process of descent with modification, where inherited traits change in populations over generations, leading to the diversity of life
fossil
the preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes and rivers.
fossil record
the collection of fossils, organized chronologically by rock layers, that provides evidence of the history of life on Earth.
trait
a distinguishing quality or characteristic, especially one belonging to a person.
selective breeding
a process where humans intentionally breed organisms with specific, desired traits to produce offspring that are more likely to inherit those
natural selection
the process where organisms with traits better suited for their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass those advantageous traits to their offspring
generation time
the average time between generations in human populations (20–30 years
speciation
the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise, resulting in the creation of new and distinct life forms
relative dating
a method of determining the sequence of geological events without establishing a specific numerical age
absolute dating
provides a specific numerical age for an artifact or geological sample
geologic time scale
a calendar of Earth’s history, spanning approximately 4.6 billion years, that divides the planet’s history into a series of eons, eras, periods, and epochs based on major geological and biological events
extinct
volcano) not having erupted in recorded history.
plate tectonics
the scientific theory that Earth’s outer shell is divided into large, moving plates whose interactions create major geological features like mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes
primate
a mammal belonging to the order Primates, which includes humans, apes, monkeys, and other related groups like lemurs and tarsiers
hominid
a member of the family Hominidae, which includes all great apes—both living and extinct—such as modern humans, gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees, and their immediate ancestors
homo sapiens
Humans, scientifically known as Homo sapiens, are primates that belong to the biological family of great apes and are characterized by hairlessness, …
