Evolution Vocabulary Terms Crossword

The trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock
An alteration or adjustment in structure or habits, often hereditary, by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment
The actual hypothetical organism from which later organisms evolved
Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals, and resulting in the development of new species
The act or process of being altered of changed
A trait that is developed in an organism's lifetime and is thus not inherited by its offspring. For example, humans gain knowledge over their lifetime, but they don't pass it onto their children
The process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do; a theory to explain the mechanism of evolution
Marked difference or deviation form the normal or recognized form, function, or structure
The evolutionary formation of new biological species, usually by the division of a single species into two or more genetically distinct ones
Evolution of two or more species from a single species following geographic isolation
The extent to which an organism is adapted to or able to produce offspring in a particular environment