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| a group of similar organisms that can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring |
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| a trait that helps and organism survive and reproduce |
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| the gradual change in a species over time |
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| a well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations |
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| the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species |
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| any difference between individuals of the same species |
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| the preserved remains or traces of an animal that lived in the past |
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| layers of hardened rock that form over millions of years |
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| rock formed when layers of sediments harden over millions of years |
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| a hollow space in sediment in the shape of an organism or part of an organism |
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| mold becomes filled in with hardened minerals and forms a ________ |
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| scientists use this to determine which of two fossils is older |
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| allows scientists to determine the actual age of fossils |
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| unstable elements that decay, or break down, into different elements |
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| the time it takes for a half the atoms in a sample to decay |
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| the millions of fossils that scientists have collected |
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| when no members of the species are still alive |
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| says that evolution occurs slowly but steadily |
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| species evolve during short periods of rapid change |
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| similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor |
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| a diagram that shows how scientists think different groups of organisms are related |
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