Select from these resources to teach your classroom about this subfield of evolutionary biology.Heredity, or the passing of characteristics from one generation to the next, is a concept that humans have used for thousands of years as we’ve cultivated crops and selectively bred animals. Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society Empower your students to learn about genetics with this collection of resources.Scientists at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) use these criteria to group animal populations worldwide.Conservation is the act of protecting Earth’s natural resources for current and future generations.

Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.For information on user permissions, please read our If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Natural selection explains how genetic traits of a species may change over time. Or, the penalty or fee itself.flat part of a stringed instrument where the musician presses the string down to create a note.industry or occupation of harvesting fish, either in the wild or through aquaculture. This may lead to speciation, the formation of a distinct new species.

What if we lose hundreds?

Seaweed can be composed of brown, green, or red algae, as well as "blue-green algae," which is actually bacteria.top layer of the Earth's surface where plants can grow.native, geographic area in which an organism can be found.
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But the first formal genetic study was undertaken by a monk named Gregor Mendel in the middle of the 19th Century. Non-native species can sometimes cause economic or environmental harm as an invasive species.to harvest aquatic life to the point where species become rare in the area.to use more of a resource than can be replaced naturally.to capture and kill enough animals to reduce their breeding population below sustainable levels.to survey and monitor an area by passing through it.natural or manufactured substance used to kill organisms that threaten agriculture or are undesirable.

Mendel bred peas and noticed he could cross-pollinate them in certain ways to get green or yellow seeds. Pesticides can be fungicides (which kill harmful fungi), insecticides (which kill harmful insects), herbicides (which kill harmful plants), or rodenticides (which kill harmful rodents. Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing Also called glacial age.unit made up of governments or groups in different countries, usually for a specific purpose.environmental organization concerned with preserving natural ecosystems and habitats.type of plant or animal that is not indigenous to a particular area and causes economic or environmental harm.tropical ecosystem filled with trees and underbrush.lowest level of conservation, used when the population and habitat of a species are healthy.type of plant with a pod that splits, with seeds in the middle, such as peanuts.one of seven categories of a species' threat of extinction, assigned by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature: least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild, and extinct.industry engaged in cutting down trees and moving the wood to sawmills.adult member of a species who is able to reproduce.person who studies patterns and changes in Earth's atmosphere.large cat native to North and South America. The fossil record reveals five uniquely large mass extinction events during which significant events such as asteroid strikes and volcanic eruptions caused widespread extinctions over relatively short periods of time. Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society

Species go extinct every year, but historically the average rate of extinction has been very slow with a few exceptions. )lever, either black or white, which triggers a hammer to hit a specific string inside the body of a piano.large region that is higher than the surrounding area and relatively flat.introduction of harmful materials into the environment.rate at which the numbers of a specific species are shrinking.calculation of a species' population and its area of occupancy that helps determine its conservation status.calculation of how long a species can survive without human protection.area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall.list defining the severity and causes of each species' threat of extinction.

Empower your students to learn about genetics with this collection of resources.Scientists at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) use these criteria to group animal populations worldwide.Conservation is the act of protecting Earth’s natural resources for current and future generations.Extinction is the complete disappearance of a species from Earth.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Select from these resources to teach your classroom about this subfield of evolutionary biology.Heredity, or the passing of characteristics from one generation to the next, is a concept that humans have used for thousands of years as we’ve cultivated crops and selectively bred animals.

National Geographic HeadquartersNational Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Educational Resources in Your Inbox "place where birds build nests and raise their young.a type of plant or animal that is not indigenous to a particular area.

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Today, the field of genetics is breaking new ground searching for new ways to treat disease or develop crops more resistant to insects or drought.
If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Help your students understand the gravity of extinction with these classroom resources.The theory of natural selection was explored by 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin.