Vocabulary

Evolution- the process of change in a species over time,usually over thousands or millions of years

Extinct- no longer exisiting on earth

Fossil- the remains of an orgainism that lived long ago

Paleontology- the scientific study of fossils

Theory- an explanation about something that is supported by data

Naturalist- a scientist who studies living things in nature

Natural Selection- the way organisms that are best suited to their environment survive and pass on their helpful traits to offspring

Charles Darwin- a scientist who came up with the theory of natural selection

Galapagos Islands- island off the coast of South America where Charles Darwin studied different types of birds

Mutation- a change in one of the nitrogen bases in DNA