Evolution Reading Assignment

Extremely Fun Evolution Reading Assignment – April 24 – 25, 2023
This is your introduction to our second to the last unit of the semester! Evolution
Today’s extremely fun book activity begins on Chapter 15 in your Modern Biology Book
(posted on Schoology) on page 297, “The Theory of Evolution.” Please use complete
sentences. (All of your responses should come directly from reading your Modern Biology
textbook online.) (Do not use outside sources to find your answers.)
1. After visiting the Galapagos Islands, what were some of Darwin’s observations?
groups of animals varied from island to island
2. What is the textbook’s definition of evolution?
development of new types of organisms from preexisting types of organisms over time.
3. In science, how is a theory defined?
well-supported explanation for some aspects of the natural world involving many observations,
inferences, and hypotheses.
4. What were some of the views of scientists during 18th century Europe?
thought that all species were permanent and unchanging. thought that the Earth was only a
thousands years old.
5. What does strata refer to?

Rock layers
6. Which strata layers are older?

Lower strata
7. What did scientists find in the different layers of strata?

diff rock strata hold fossils of different kinds of organisms
8. Describe the differences between catastrophism and uniformitarianism.

Catastrophism: idea that sudden geologic incidents caused the extinction of large groups of
organisms at certain points in the past
Uniformitarianism: thought that the geologic processes that have changed the shape of the
Earth in the past continue to work in the same ways (charles lyell’s)
9. Describe Lamarck’s ideas on evolution.

thought that simple organisms could arise from nonliving matter. thought that simple forms of
life develop into more complex forms. individuals could acquire traits during their lifetimes as a
result of experience/behavior, could pass on those traits to offspring.
10. What were Darwin’s two goals in his first book?

first, he wanted to present a large amount of evidence that evolution occurs, and second, to
explain the variety and distribution of organisms on Earth
11. What does the term, “descent with modification” refer to?
Process of evolution
12. Where did Darwin believe that all 13 species of finches descended from?
few ancestral finches.
13. Describe the four main aspects of Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
Overproduction; human populations can increase quickly, environment limits the populations
of all organisms by causing deaths or limiting births. ‘
Genetic Variation; Individuals have different traits, some of which are inherited, and new traits.
Struggle to Survive; adaptation is a trait that makes individuals successful in their environment.
Differential Reprocution; Organisms with the best adaptations are more likely to survive and
reproduce.
14. In evolutionary terms, what does the term “fitness” refer to?
Measure of an individual's hereditary contribution to the next generation
15. What does the term “adaptation” refer to?
trait that makes an individual successful in its environment, (thick fur in cold climates).
16. Give an example of acclimatization.
an animal adjusting to a new climate by growing thicker fur.
17. Define the term fossil.

Remains or traces of an organism that died long ago.
18. Describe the principle of superposition.

if the rock strata at a location has not been disturbed, lowest stratum was formed before the
strata above it.
19. What does the geological time scale refer to? How is it used to prove fossil evidence of
evolution?
put together a timeline for the order in which diff groups of rocks and fossils were formed.
known as the geologic time scale (simple version of this table appears in the Appendix).
20. What do transitional species refer to?
Intermediate features between those of hypothesized ancestors and later descendant species
21. What type of species do scientists think whales evolved from?
early mammals walked with four legs on land in the fossil record
22. What is the study of biogeography?
Biogeography is the study of the locations of organisms around the world.
23. Define the terms “anatomy” and “embryology.”
Anatomy: the study of the body structure or organisms
Embryology: the study of how organisms develop.
24. How are anatomy and embryology used as evidence of evolution?

Look at the bones in the forelimbs of humans, penguins, alligators, and bats
25. What do homologous structures refer to? Give an example of some homologous structure.
Homologous structures are anatomical structures, occur in different species and originate by
heredity from a structure in the most recent common ancestor of the species. An example of
homologous structures is the limbs of humans, cats, and whales.
26. What do analogous structures refer to
Analogous structures have related functions but do not derive from the same ancestral
structure.
27. What do vestigial structures refer to? Give two examples of vestigial structures.
resemble structures with functional roles in related organisms. For example, human tailbone/
coccyx, made up of four fused vertebrae that resemble the bones in an animal’s tail.
28. Which two biological molecules are used as evidence of evolution?
DNA and the genetic code

29. What does the term “phylogeny” refer to?
the relationships by ancestry among groups of organisms
30. In the case study, how does each species’ body type correlate with the habitat in which the
species lives?
Anole species that live mainly on tree trunks have long legs and stocky bodies. Whereas those
that reside on slender twigs have short legs, thin bodies, tails, and large toe pads.
31. Describe the differences between convergent evolution and divergent evolution.
Convergent evolution: process by which different species evolve similar traits
Divergent evolution: process in which descendants of a single ancestor diversify into species
that each fit different parts of the environment.
32. What does the term “adaptive radiation” refer to?

pattern of divergence is called adaptive radiation. new population in a new environment, such
as an island, will experience divergent evolution until population fills many parts of the
environment.
33. What does artificial selection refer to? Give an example of artificial selection.
process occurring when a human breeder chooses individuals that will parent the next
generation. For example, humans may choose to breed greyhounds that run faster.
34. Define the term coevolution.

When two or more species have evolved adaptations to each other’s influence, the situation is
called coevolution.
35. Give an example of coevolution.

flowering plants have evolved so much that specific insects carry pollen to other plants.
Using the knowledge that you have just learned from this chapter, answer the following
questions:
36. Identify and describe three factors that could limit the growth of a population.
Meat, food, and competition with other organisms for resources

37. Relate the roles of adaptation and fitness in the theory of natural selection.
Humans evolved over time to avoid natural selection
38. Explain how genetics indicates relatedness between species. (DNA Evidence)
Our DNA can be similar to other organisms which tells us that we evolved from animal
39. Explain why antibiotics are not consistently effective against bacterial infections.
Antibiotics work for a specific amount of time, but then the bacterial infections learn how to
avoid the antibiotics
40. Describe the term “descent with modification.”
refers to the process of evolution

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Extremely Fun Evolution Reading Assignment – April 24 – 25, 2023

groups of animals varied from island to island

2. What is the textbook’s definition of evolution?

3. In science, how is a theory defined?

5. What does strata refer to?

6. Which strata layers are older?

7. What did scientists find in the different layers of strata?

8. Describe the differences between catastrophism and uniformitarianism.

9. Describe Lamarck’s ideas on evolution.

10. What were Darwin’s two goals in his first book?

15. What does the term “adaptation” refer to?

16. Give an example of acclimatization.

an animal adjusting to a new climate by growing thicker fur.

17. Define the term fossil.

18. Describe the principle of superposition.

20. What do transitional species refer to?

21. What type of species do scientists think whales evolved from?

22. What is the study of biogeography?

Biogeography is the study of the locations of organisms around the world.

23. Define the terms “anatomy” and “embryology.”

Anatomy: the study of the body structure or organisms

Embryology: the study of how organisms develop.

24. How are anatomy and embryology used as evidence of evolution?

26. What do analogous structures refer to

28. Which two biological molecules are used as evidence of evolution?

DNA and the genetic code

the relationships by ancestry among groups of organisms

32. What does the term “adaptive radiation” refer to?

34. Define the term coevolution.

35. Give an example of coevolution.

Meat, food, and competition with other organisms for resources

Humans evolved over time to avoid natural selection

40. Describe the term “descent with modification.”

refers to the process of evolution

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