The Evolution of Life​: Vocabulary

Word Definition Image

trait a characteristic of an
organism

adaptation an inherited trait evolved

through natural selection that
makes a population well
suited to living and
reproducing in its
environment

evolution the inherited changes that

occur in a population over
time

natural selection the process through which

individuals in a population
with certain inherited traits
are more likely to survive and
reproduce than individuals
with less favorable traits in a
specific environment

population a group of individuals of the

same species that live and
reproduce in the same place
Genetic variation differences in the inherited
traits of different individuals