Evolution by Natural Selection Word Splash
FOOD
VARIATIONS
ADAPTATIONS
ENVIRONMENT
Name: _________________
DNA
PREDATORS
CHANGE
TIME
NATURAL SELECTION
MUTATIONS
The process of _______________________ is the reason for evolutionary change in a
population of organisms. Darwin described this process as happening gradually over long
periods of ____________. The changes start by organisms developing ____________________
in the traits of their population. These differences come from ____________ in an organism’s
____________ that are passed down from generation to generation. Differences that help an
organism to survive and reproduce are called ______________________. The
_______________________ has a major influence on which variations in traits are beneficial
for survival and which are not. Different selection factors, like _______________, and sources
of ______________, are involved in which variations are beneficial as well. Over time, the
selection of beneficial variations leads to a _________________________ in the overall
population of species.