Evolution Vocabulary Crossword

Change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations
The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
The breeding of plants and animals to produce desirable traits.
A change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
A term used by paleontologists (see paleontology) to refer to the total number of fossils that have been discovered, as well as to the information derived from them.
An organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.
The process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches.
Variation in the relative frequency of different genotypes in a small population, owing to the chance disappearance of particular genes as individuals die or do not reproduce.
The situation where different species may live in the same area, but properties of individuals prevent them from interbreeding.
A population of animals, plants, or other organisms that are separated from exchanging genetic material with other organisms of the same species.
The close external resemblance of an animal or plant (or part of one) to another animal, plant, or inanimate object.
An adaptation that allows animals to blend in with certain aspects of their environment.
The various structures in different species having the same function but have evolved separately, thus do not share common ancestor.
A structure in an organism that has lost all or most of its original function in the course of evolution, such as human appendixes.
An example of an organ or bone that appears in different animals, underlining anatomical commonalities demonstrating descent from a common ancestor.
An English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution.
French biologist who is best known for his idea that acquired characters are inheritable, an idea known as Lamarckism, which is controverted by modern genetics and evolutionary theory.
An English cleric and scholar, influential in the fields of political economy and demography.
A Scottish geologist, physician, chemical manufacturer, naturalist, and experimental agriculturalist.