Animal Life and Evolution: English Vocabulary List

an animal that primarily feeds on insects or other small invertebrates

"The hedgehog is mainly an insectivore animal"

"Pangolins are insectivores that eat ants and termites."

(of plants or animals) feeding on the meat or flesh of other animals

"The plant is carnivorous."

"The carnivorous plant traps and digests insects to obtain nutrients that are missing from the poor soil where it grows."

(of an animal) solely feeding on plants

"The dinosaur was herbivorous."

"The herbivorous dinosaur ate only plants and it had flat teeth for grinding leaves and ferns."

an organism that breaks down and feeds on dead organic matter, such as decaying plant and animal material

"Earthworm is detritivore."

"Detritivores break down dead organic matter."

relating to organisms that live on or inside other organisms, benefiting at the expense of their hosts

"The worm is parasitic."

"The parasitic worm lives inside the host's intestines and absorbs nutrients from the food that the host eats."

an organism that cannot produce its own food and must obtain energy by consuming other organisms or organic matter

"Humans are heterotroph organisms needing external food"

"Heterotrophs cannot produce their own food so they must consume other organisms for energy."

(of wild animals) hunting, killing, and feeding on other animals for survival

"The bird is predatory."

"The predatory bird swoops down from the sky to catch small mammals and it has sharp talons for gripping its prey."

(of an animal) generating and regulating their own body heat internally

"Birds are endothermic."

"Birds are endothermic animals which means they can generate their own body heat and maintain a constant temperature regardless of their surroundings."

(of some animals or plants) to spend the winter sleeping deeply

"Bears hibernate during winter."

"Some animals like bears and hedgehogs hibernate during the cold winter months to conserve energy."

the process of waking up or becoming active and alert, often influenced by environmental stimuli or internal biological rhythms

"Sudden noises caused arousal."

"The unexpected loud bang caused a sudden arousal of the sleeping campers, making them instantly alert and watchful."

a toxic substance produced and secreted by certain animals, typically used for defense or hunting

"The venom is dangerous."

"The snake's venom is powerful enough to kill a human within just a few hours if the victim does not receive the antidote."

the harmful effects or potential for harm caused by a substance to living organisms or the environment

"The heavy metals leached into the water have high toxicity to fish."

"Oxygen toxicity is a serious condition resulting from the harmful effects of breathing in molecular oxygen at dangerously elevated partial pressures for too long."

the capacity or ability of an organism, often referring to its genetic potential, reproductive success, or influence within its environment

"The plant has potency."

"The scientist studied the genetic potency of the rare plant to understand its potential for future medicinal applications."

the place or area in which certain animals, birds, or plants naturally exist, lives, and grows

"The forest is their habitat."

"The rainforest provides a natural habitat for thousands of unique species that cannot survive anywhere else."

a community of living organisms together with their physical environment, interacting as a system

"The forest is an ecosystem."

"A healthy ecosystem depends on the balance between living organisms and their environment."

(of animals or organisms) primarily active during the night

"Bats are nocturnal."

"Bats are nocturnal mammals that sleep during the day in caves or trees and come out at night to hunt for insects to eat."

to bring up partially digested food from the stomach back into the mouth, often to feed young or as part of the digestive process

"The bird regurgitated food for its chick."

"The mother bird regurgitates partially digested food to feed her hungry chicks in the nest."

the internal bony structure of an animal that gives it form and supports its weight

"The human endoskeleton has two hundred six bones."

"The human endoskeleton is made of bone and cartilage providing support and protection for internal organs while allowing flexible movement."

the hard outer covering that supports the body of an animal, such as an arthropod

"Crabs protect themselves using a strong exoskeleton"

"The beetle's exoskeleton protected it from predators."

(of an animal, plant, etc.) not having any living members, either due to natural causes, environmental changes, or human activity

"The dinosaur is extinct."

"The dinosaur has been extinct for millions of years and we only know about them from fossils."

the process of bringing extinct species back to life through scientific methods

"Scientists debate ethical concerns about de-extinction projects"

"Scientists are exploring de-extinction technologies that might bring back species like the woolly mammoth."

(of a wild animal) tamed and adapted to live with or to the benefit of humans

"The cat is domesticated."

"The domesticated dog has lived alongside humans for thousands of years and it is one of the most popular pets in the world."

the scientific process of creating an identical or near-identical copy of a living organism, cell, or DNA sequence through asexual reproduction or genetic engineering techniques

"Cloning technology raises many ethical questions worldwide"

"Cloning creates genetically identical copies of organisms."

related to evolution or the slow and gradual development of something

"The change is evolutionary."

"The evolutionary theory explains how species change over time through natural selection and adaptation to their environments."

a taxonomic rank below species that represents a distinct population within a species, exhibiting consistent differences from other populations

"The tiger subspecies lives in isolated habitats"

"There are several subspecies of tigers with different habitats."

(of an animal, plant, etc.) being at risk of extinction

"The tiger is endangered."

"The endangered tiger is protected by law because there are only a few hundred left in the wild today."

an extinct large, elephant-like mammal with long, curved tusks and a body covered in hair, which lived during the Pleistocene epoch

"Mastodon fossils were discovered beneath the frozen ground"

"The mastodon was a large extinct relative of the elephant."

an extinct hominid species closely related to modern humans, characterized by a robust build and distinctive facial features, that lived in Europe and parts of Asia until approximately 40,000 years ago

"Neanderthals lived in Europe long ago."

"A Neanderthal was an extinct species of archaic human that lived in Eurasia until about forty thousand years ago"

primarily active or occurring during the daytime

"Squirrels are diurnal."

"Squirrels are diurnal animals so they are active during the day and sleep in their nests at night to avoid predators and darkness."

(of animals or organisms) primarily active during the night

"Owls are nocturnal."

"The nocturnal owl hunts at night and sleeps during the day using its excellent vision to see in near darkness."

(of an animal) active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk

"Rabbits are crepuscular animals."

"Deer are crepuscular animals which means they are most active during the early morning and late evening hours of the day."

the protection of the natural environment and resources from wasteful human activities

"Conservation protects natural resources."

"Conservation efforts are essential to protect endangered animals and preserve natural resources for future generations."

characteristic of an early stage of human or animal evolution

"It was a primitive tool."

"Archaeologists discovered primitive tools that offered insights into early human survival."

found or restricted to a specific geographic region or habitat

"This flower is endemic."

"The unique flora of the Galapagos Islands is largely endemic to the archipelago."