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uniformitarianism
The principle stating that mechanisms of change are constant over time. See catastrophism.
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adaptation
inherited characteristic of an organism that enhances its survival and reproduction in specific enviroments
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convergent evolution
The evolution of similar features in independent evolutionary lineages
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biogeography
The study of the past and present distribution of species.
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evolutionary tree
A branching diagram that reflects a hypothesis about evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms
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stratum
(strah'-tum)(plural,strata) A rock layer formed when new layers of sediment cover older ones and compress them.
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homology
(ho−-mol'-uh-je−) Similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared ancestry
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analogous
Having characteristics that are similar because of convergent evolution, not homology
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continental drift
The slow movement of the continental plates across Earth's surface
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evolution
Descent with modification; the idea that living species are descendants of ancestral species that were different from the present-day ones; also defined more narrowly as the change in the genetic composition of a population from generation to generation
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vestigial structure
A structure of marginal, if any, importance to an organism. Vestigial structures are historical remnants of structures that had important functions in ancestors
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fossil
A preserved remnant or impression of an organism that lived in the past
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Pangea
(pan-je'-uh) The supercontinent that formed near the end of the Paleozoic era, when plate movements brought all the landmasses of Earth together
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natural selection
A process in which organisms with certain inherited characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than are organisms with other characteristics.
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homologous structures
Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry
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paleontology
(pa'-le-un-tol'-o-je) The scientific study of fossils
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endemic
(en-dem'-ik) Referring to a species that is confined to a specific, relatively small geographic area.
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catastrophism
(kuh-tas'-truh-fiz'-um) The principle that events in the past occurred suddenly and were caused by different mechanisms than those operating today. See uniformitarianism
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artificial selection
The selective breeding of domesticated plants and animals to encourage the occurrence of desirable traits
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