Evolution

4. A change in DNA that can create new traits.
8. When organisms produce more offspring than the environment can support.
13. How organisms affect and respond to each other and their environment.
15. Selection – The process where organisms with traits that help them survive are more likely to pass on those traits.
16. Factors – Conditions like temperature, predators, or food availability that affect survival.
18. A group of similar organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring.
19. The passing of traits from parents to offspring through genes.
20. The children or young produced by living organisms.

1. Variation Differences in DNA among individuals in a population.
2. The struggle between organisms for limited resources like food, space, or mates.
3. Reproduction – The idea that individuals with traits better suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.
5. Differences between individuals in a species.
6. How well an organism can survive and reproduce in its environment.
7. The process by which traits are passed down genetically from one generation to the next.
9. A physical or behavioral trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
10. Darwin – A scientist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection.
11. Pressure – Environmental factors that make certain traits more or less favorable for survival.
12. A group of the same species living in the same area.
14. A specific characteristic of an organism, such as eye color or beak shape.
17. The gradual change in species over time.