Adaptation (ad-ap-tay-shuhn)
A change through natural selection that allows a living species to survive within an environment

Archipelago (ar-kuh-pel-uh-goh)
A group of small islands

Carapace (kar-uh-pace)
The hard upper shell of certain animals like turtles and tortoises

Classify (klass-uh-fye)
To put things into groups according to their characteristics

Evolution (ev-uh-loo-shuhn)
The changes in species over thousands of years or longer

Fossil (foss-uhl)
The remains or traces of an animal or a plant from millions of years ago that are preserved in rocks

Habitat (hab-uh-tat)
The place and natural conditions in which a plant or an animal lives

Paleontology (pale-ee-uhn-tol-uh-jee)
The science that deals with fossils; someone who studies paleontology is called a paleontologist

Species (spee-sheez)
Members of the same group that can mate and produce children or offspring

Subspecies (sub-spee-sheez)
A population of a species with traits that make them distinct from the larger group