READ: Important Vocabulary Terms
READ: Important Vocabulary Terms
These are the most important vocabulary terms to learn this week. Please make sure you understand these terms.Variations are different versions of a trait found in a population of organisms. Mutations are random changes in an organism's genes. Mutations are natural. Most are neutral, but some can be harmful or beneficial. Adaptations are characteristics that help an organism survive. Individuals that are better adapted to their environment will be more likely to survive and to reproduce. Charles Darwin introduced the world to the theory of evolution by natural selection, which laid the foundation for how we understand the living world today. Evolution is the change in which traits are most common in a population of organisms over time. Over long periods of time this change in trait frequencies can lead to the development of new species. Evolution states that all living organisms came from earlier forms of life. Natural selection explains why evolution occurs. Natural selection explains how organisms in a population develop traits that allow them to survive and reproduce. Natural selection means that traits that offer an advantage will most likely be passed on to offspring; individuals with those traits have a better chance of surviving. The HMS Beagle was the British research ship that Charles Darwin traveled around the world on.
