Ecology And Evolution

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ecology

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the study of relationships between living organisms and the physical environment.

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ecologist

Back 2

scientists who study the relationships between organisms and environments.

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ecosystem

Back 3

an organism's habitat.

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habitat

Back 4

the place in which an organism lives.

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population

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groups of individuals of a single species that live in the same place.

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population graph

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a form of visual which shows you the population of an organism over time.

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carrying capacity

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the amount a container can hold, or carry.

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competition

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a contest in getting food.

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predator

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an organism which feeds on another organism.

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prey

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an organism which gets eaten by another organism.

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predation

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a relationship between two species of animal in a community.

predator and prey

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producer

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organisms which are able to produce their own food using photosynthesis.

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consumer

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organisms which get their energy by eating food.

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decomposer

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animals that eat dead organisms and wastes from living organisms.

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food web

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diagrams that model the feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

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plankton

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microscopic plants and animals.

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photosynthesis

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using sunlight as energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into food.

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species

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a class of individuals having some common characteristics or qualities.

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introduced species

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a plant or animal that was transported from its original habitat to a new one.

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taxonomy

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

Kings Play Chess On Funny Green Squares

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the classification of organisms in an ordered system that indicates natural relationships.

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scientific name

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the scientific name of a species is formed by the combination of two terms. the first name (capitalized) is the genus of the organism, the second (not capitalized) is its species.

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extinct

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no longer existing or living.

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endangered species

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a species present in such small numbers that it is at risk of extinction.

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fossils

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any preserved remains or imprints of living organisms (usually ancient animals and plants), such as bones, shells, footprints, or leaf impressions.

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fossil record

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a term used by paleontologists to refer to the total number of fossils that have been discovered, as well as to the information taken from them.

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sediments/rock layer

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sedimentary rocks develop from sediments such as mud or sand, usually in the bottoms of lakes or the ocean but sometimes on land, that turn into rock.

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paleontologist

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a scientist who studies paleontology, learning about the forms of life that existed in former geologic periods, chiefly by studying fossils.

scientists who study fossils.

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geological time

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the relative age of various geologic periods and the absolute time intervals.

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relative dating

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the proper chronological placement of a feature, object, or happening in the geologic time scale without reference to its absolute age.

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absolute dating

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the determination of the age of an object with reference to a specific time scale.

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law of superposition

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the law that the fossil which is furthest down in a rock, is the oldest fossil. the one on the top is the youngest fossil.

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stratigraphic column

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a drawing showing the vertical sequence of rock. geologists use this to interpret the relative sequence of past geological events.

a diagram representing a series of rock layers.

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evolution

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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.

new species have descended from earlier species, but have changed over long periods of time.

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mutations

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the act or process of being altered or changed.

a simple/small mistake.

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natural selection

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the process in nature by which, according to Darwin's theory of evolution, only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generations while those less adapted tend to be eliminated.

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variation

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marked difference or deviation from the normal or recognized form, function, or structure.

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adaption

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a change in structure, function, or behavior by which a species or individual improves its chance of survival in a specific environment.

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acquired traits

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a trait that is developed in an organisms lifetime.

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inherited traits

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characteristics and traits transmitted genetically to an individual organism.

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origin of species

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evolutionary tree

phylogenetic tree

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a diagram which shows that most living species are descended from
a small fraction of the species that have ever existed.