Evolution vocabulary

Science · Organisms & Life Processes · ages 10-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which word means every member of a species has died out?
- Endangered
- Extinct
- Variation
Which word means a feature that helps an organism survive in its environment?
- Extinction
- Adaptation
- Mutation
A species with only a few members left, but still alive, is called extinct.
Circle one: True False
Fill in the missing step: variation, ___, survival, reproduction.
- selection pressure
- fossil record
- common ancestor
In a beetle population, some beetles are green and some are brown. This difference between individuals is called ___.
- mutation
- variation
- adaptation
A fish species evolves a slimmer body shape that helps it swim faster to escape predators. This slimmer body is best described as ___.
- an adaptation
- a fossil record
- an extinction
Scientists find fossils showing a small land mammal, then an early whale-like creature, then whales today, all sharing similar skeleton features. This pattern suggests whales evolved from ___.
- a single mutation
- an extinction event
- a common ancestor
A student says: 'Giraffes needed long necks, so they grew them.' What is wrong with this explanation?
- Giraffes cannot have variation in neck length
- Giraffes did not choose to grow longer necks; those with more helpful variation survived and reproduced
- Long necks are not an adaptation for giraffes

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Extinct · Extinct means none of that species are left anywhere on Earth.
Adaptation · An adaptation, like a polar bear's thick fur, helps an organism survive where it lives.
False · That species is endangered, not extinct. Extinct means none are left at all.
selection pressure · A selection pressure, like a food shortage or a predator, decides which variations help an organism survive.
variation · Differences between individuals of the same species are called variation.
an adaptation · A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment is an adaptation.
a common ancestor · Shared features across the fossil record point to a common ancestor that species change from over time.
Giraffes did not choose to grow longer necks; those with more helpful variation survived and reproduced · Evolution is not a choice. Natural selection works because some individuals already have helpful variation, and they are more likely to survive and reproduce.