MAJOR UNDERSTANDINGS

• All organisms come from a common ancestor.

o The DNA of species changes slowly over time in

response to environmental factors.
o Fossils and organism similarities offer proof of this
theory of evolution.
o Classification is used to organize the vast number of
species in existence as a result of evolution.

CRITICAL VOCABULARY
1. evolution 8. geologic time 15. homologous structures
2. natural selection 9. species 16. vestigial structures
3. overproduction 10. fossil record 17. classification
4. variation 11. mutation 18. biological key
5. competition 12. adaptation 19. genus
6. adaptive value 13. antibiotic resistance 20. species
7. survival of the fittest 14. organism similarities 21. scientific name
 EVOLUTION RESOURCES

Textbook Resources

Page # Topic
369-378 History & Background
379-382 Natural selection
382-385 Support for Evolution
397-402 Genetics & Selection
404-410 Speciation
435-440 Patterns of Evolution
386 Summary of Natural Selection
417-422 Fossil Record Evidence
447-463 Classification
833-841 Human Evolution

Internet Resources
Explore learning
www.explorelearning.com

The Zoo of You

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/zoo-you.html

PBS Evolution Videos

www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/

Eyes of Nye: Antibiotic Resistance

http://media.monroe.edu/?g=58d4da7c-cb02-11de-b135-002219c0509d

Classifying Organisms
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/orchid/classifying.html

Classification practice
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/classifying-life.html

YouTube: Classification song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnF_UdPbJZ0

Walking with Cavemen

http://media.monroe.edu/?p=f5c28330-1040-11df-944c-002219c0509d

Caveman Challenge
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/games/cavemen/

1
 ORGA
ANISM
M SIMIL
LARIT
TIES
 

                C
COMPARA
ATIVE AN
NATOMY
 

SAM
ME STRUCTURES = _____
___________
__________
________________ 

              COMPAR
RATIVE BIO
OCHEMISTRY  
 

 
                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                STTRUCTURES YYOU DON’T NEED OR USE
 
                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                 ____________________________________
_ 
 

                    SAME
E CHEMICA
AL MAKE‐U
UP  
 

   

MPARATIIVE EMBR
COM RYOLOGY

(SIM
MILARITIIES IN EMBRYOS)
 

2
 

Q
QUESTIO
ON 1 WH
HY ARE T
THERE S
SO MANY
Y SIMILA
ARITIES IN DIFFE
ERENT
TYPES OF
T F ORGAN
NISMS?

THEOR
RY 1 MA
AYBE WE CAME FROM A A COMMO ON ANCE
ESTOR W
WHO
CH
HANGED LITTLE BIT BY L
LITTLE B
BIT TO A
ADJUST T
TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
 

 TO TEST
T THAT TH
HEORY, LETT’S LOOK A
AT THE FOSSSIL RECOR
RD OF A HORSE AND
D OF MAN. 
 

FO
OSSILS SSHOW THESEE SMALLL CHA
ANGES FFROM SIMPLLE TO 
CO
OMPLEX R TIMEE…TRUE EVID
X OVER DENCE OF EV
VOLUT TION.

3
 EXPLORE LEARNING GIZMO: NATURAL SELECTION

VOCABULARY:
Biological evolution – change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms that occurs over many
generations. Biological evolution refers to changes in populations of organisms over time.
Camouflage – coloring or markings that help an organism blend in with its surroundings.
Lichen – a combination of two organisms, a fungus and algae. It forms a thin “crust” on rocks and trees.
Natural selection – the process by which favorable inherited traits become more common over time.
Natural selection assumes the following: (1) More organisms are born than can survive and reproduce.
(2) Organisms compete for limited resources and survival. (3) There are variations between organisms,
and these variations can be inherited. (4) Some variations make an organism more likely to survive and
reproduce. Over time, favorable variations will spread throughout a population, while unfavorable
variations become less frequent.
Peppered moth – a moth found in Europe, Asia, and North America. Two
peppered moth morphs are shown in the Gizmo: a light gray variety called a
typica, and a dark variety, called a carbonaria.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS:

Birds are a frequent predator of the peppered moth.
1. Which do you think would be easier to see on a dark tree trunk? Light or Dark
2. Which do you think would be easier to see on a light tree trunk? Light or Dark

INTRODUCTION:
The Natural Selection game allows you to play the role of a bird feeding on peppered moths. The initial
population of 40 moths is scattered over 20 tree trunks.
Click on moths to capture them. Click the Next tree button or hit the spacebar on your keyboard to
advance to the next tree.
1. Check that LIGHT TREES is selected. Click Start and hunt moths for one year.
A. How many dark moths did you capture? ____________
B. How many light moths did you capture? ____________
C. Camouflage is coloring or patterns that help an organism to blend in with the background.

Which type of moth is better camouflaged on light bark? Light or Dark

2. If a forest had mostly light trees, which type of moth would be most common? Light or Dark

4
ACTIVITY A: LIGHT TREES
Introduction: Before the 19th century in England, the air was very clean. The bark on trees was usually
light in color. Abundant lichens growing on tree trunks also lightened their appearance.
Question: How does the color of a peppered moth affect survival?
1. Predict: Over time, what will to happen to the populations of light and dark moths on light trees?

2. Experiment: Click Start and hunt peppered moths on light tree trunks for five years. In each year,
try to capture as many moths as you can. (Hint: Use the spacebar on your keyboard to advance to
the next tree.)
After 5 years, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type that are alive at
the end of each year.

Year Dark moths at end of year Light moths at end of year

0
1
2
3
4
5

3. Analyze: What do your results show?

4. Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century, when most
trees were light in color?

ACTIVITY B: DARK TREES

Introduction: The 19th century was the time of the Industrial Revolution in England. Most of the new
industries used coal for energy, and the air was polluted with black soot. In forests near factories, the
soot coated trees and killed lichens. As a result, tree trunks became darker.
Question: How did air pollution affect moth populations?
1. Predict: Over time, what will to happen to the populations of light and dark moths on dark trees?

2. Experiment: Click Start and hunt peppered moths on dark tree trunks for five years. In each year, try
to capture as many moths as you can. (Hint: You can use the spacebar on your keyboard to advance
to the next tree.)

5
 When you are done, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type.
Year Dark moths Light moths
0
1
2
3
4
5

3. Analyze: What do your results show?

4. Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common during the 19th century? Why?

5. Draw conclusions: Natural selection is the process by which favorable traits tend to increase in
frequency over time.
 In this experiment, what was the natural force that selected the most favorable moths to survive?

 Why are some moths light and some dark? Use the word DNA in your answer.

6. Think and discuss: Circle the choice that best describes how the moth population changed:
a) individual moths changing colors before dying
b) all moths deciding to get new traits
c) best-hidden moths surviving and passing on their colors to their offspring

Explain your answer choice in the space below.

6
Activity B (continued from previous page)

5. Draw conclusions: Natural selection is the process by which favorable traits tend to increase in frequency
over time. How does this experiment illustrate natural selection?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

6. Think and discuss: Did the changes you observed in the moth populations result from individual moths
changing colors? Or did they occur because the best-hidden moths survived and reproduced, passing on
their colors to their offspring? Explain your answer.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

7. Extend your thinking: Biological evolution is the process by which populations of organisms change over
time. How could natural selection lead to evolution? If possible, discuss your answer with your classmates
and teacher.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

7
 QUESTION 2: HOW DO THESE SMALL CHANGES SHOWN BY FOSSIL
EVIDENCE COME ABOUT…WHY DOES EVOLUTION HAPPEN?

THEORY 2: CHARLES DARWIN BELIEVED THAT EVOLUTION

OCCURS BECAUSE OF THE BASIC PROCESS OF NATURAL SELECTION.

LET’S EXPLORE HOW NATURAL SELECTION WORKS.

1. Living organisms overproduce: ________________________________________________________________

Other examples:

Spiders Turtles

2. There is Variation among the offspring: ___________________________________________________________

a. This variation is caused by:

i. Mutations:

1. Mutations will only affect evolution if they are in the ______________cells

(____________________).

ii. Sexual Reproduction (Meiosis creating gametes that are all different)

8
 3. There are not enough resources for all of these overproduced offspring (finite resources), so the organisms
begin to compete in a struggle for survival.

a. Each organism will need to find:

ii. ______________________

iii. ______________________

iv. ______________________

4. Some organisms will have traits that help them to compete better than others. These traits are called

__________________________________________________.

1. Some examples of adaptations include:

a.

b.

c.

5. ____________________________________________________--> Those organisms that are best adapted to a

particular environment will be able to survive long enough to ______________________.
a. This assures that positive traits (_____________________) are passed on to future generation and the
species evolves over time. This evolution occurs with small changes over time…little bit by little bit.

NATURAL SELECTION = THE ENVIRONMENT SELECTING THE MOST ADAPTED ORGANISMS TO SURVIVE.

9
 NATURAL SELECTION AN OVERVIEW
1. Organisms reproduce making more individuals than can survive (OVERPOPULATION).

2. The individuals in the species are all different due meiosis, mutations and gene expression
(GENETIC VARIATION).

3. The individuals of a species will need to compete for limited resources such as food, water,
shelter and mates. (COMPETITION)

4. In this competition, some individuals will have an advantage for survival in the specific
environment….a competitive edge. (ADVANTAGE = ADAPTATION)

5. Those with the advantage will win the competition and survive to reproduce again (SURVIVAL
OF THE FITTEST).

10
 NATURAL SELECTION
OPENER/CLOSER REVIEW
 
1. Certain insects resemble the bark of the trees on which they live. Which statement provides a possible
biological explanation for this resemblance?

1. The insects needed camouflage so they developed protective coloration.

2. Natural selection played a role in the development of this protective coloration.
3. The lack of mutations resulted in the protective coloration.
4. The trees caused mutations in the insects that resulted in protective coloration.

2. Scientists are increasingly concerned about the possible effects of damage to the ozone layer.

Damage to the ozone layer has resulted in mutations in skin cells that lead to cancer. Will the mutations
that caused the skin cancers be passed on to offspring? Support your answer. [1]

_______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

3. A certain species has little genetic variation. The rapid extinction of this species would most likely result
from the effect of

1. successful cloning
2. gene manipulation
3. environmental change
4. genetic recombination
 

11
NATURAL SELECTION REGENTS QUESTION

12
QUESTION 3: HOW DOES EVOLUTION ALLOW FOR THE CREATION OF NEW SPECIES?

THEORY 3: SPECIATION: WHEN A SPECIES IS SEPARATED INTO TWO DIFFERING ENVIRONMENTS, THE
ADAPTATIONS THAT ARE SELECTED FOR BECOME SO DIFFERENT THAT TWO NEW SPECIES RESULT.

STEPS OF SPECIATION

1. Members of the same species live together.

2. A geographic barrier separates the species into
two groups that must now live apart.
3. The environment on each side of the barrier is
different.
4. Because of natural selection, the differing
environments select for different adaptive
traits.
5. Eventually, the species become so different
from each other that they are now 2 separate
species…NEW SPECIES ARE FORMED.

13
 Use the diagram to complete the exercise. The following
statements involve events that can result in the formation of a
SPECIATION new species. Number them from 1-6 in the proper order.

animals are separated into two groups and must now

live apart

environments on either side of the river change with

time

animals of the same species living on either side of a

stream can move from one side to the other

the stream changes into a river

animals, due to natural selection, undergo change

after thousands of years, two different species of

animals form

14
QUESTION 4: HOW DO BACTERIA AND OTHER ASEXUALLY REPRODUCING SPECIES EVOLVE?

THEORY 4: DURING ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION, ONE ORGANISM UNDERGOES A BENEFICIAL MUTATION

AND OVERTIME, THIS TRAIT WILL OUT-COMPETE THE OTHERS GIVING RISE TO A NEW SPECIES.

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

15
 Natural Selection and Speciation Regents
Question
68. In the past, a specific antibiotic was effective in killing a certain species of
bacteria. Now, most members of this bacterial species are resistant to this
antibiotic. Explain how this species of bacteria has become resistant. Your
answer must include the concepts of:
 Overproduction (1)
 Variation (1)
 Natural selection (1)
 Adaptation to the environment (1)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

16
QUESTION 5: HOW SHOULD WE SHOW THESE EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS ?

THEORY 5: EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIP PATTERNS RESEMBLE A TREE OR A

BUSH…LETS MAKE THE CONNECTIONS AND CALL THEM CLADOGRAMS.

• How are Evolutionary Relationships similar to a tree or bush.

17
18
19
20
Cladogram Regents Question

21
 CLADOGRAM
C  REGENTS QU
UESTIONS 

11. Which sttatement con

ncerning the evolution off species A, B
B, C, D, andd E is supporrted by the ddiagram
below?

1. Species Baand C can bee found in to

oday's enviroonments.
2. Species A and D evolvved from E.
3. Species A and C can still
s interbreeed.
4. Species A, B, and E alll evolved from a commoon ancestor and all are ssuccessful tooday.
 

22. Some evo

olutionary pathways are represented
d in the diagrram below.

An infereence that can

n be made frrom informattion in the ddiagram is that

1. Many of th he descendan nts of organism B becam

me extinct
2. Organism B was probaably much laarger than anny of the othher organism ms representeed
3. Most of thhe descendan nts of organism B successsfully adaptted to their eenvironment and have
su
urvived to th
he present tim
me
4. The letterss above orgaanism B represent membbers of a singgle large poppulation withh much
biodiversity

22
 33. The diagram below represents
r po
ossible evolu
utionary relaationships beetween groupps of organissms.

Which statement is a valid concllusion that can

c be drawnn from the diiagram?

11. Snails apppeared on Eaarth before corals.

c
22. Sponges were
w the lastt new speciees to appear on
o Earth.
33. Earthworm ms and sea stars
s have a common
c anccestor.
44. Insects arre more compplex than maammals.

44. The evolutionary patthways of ten

n different sp
pecies are reepresented inn the diagram
m below.

wo species arre the most closely

Which tw c related?

1. C and
a D
2. E and
a I
3. G and
a J
4. A and
a F
 

23
24
25
 CLASSIFICATION
(How we _____________________ the species that have resulted from evolution)

 Classification is done in ___________________________ to assure all nations are consistent.
 An organism’s scientific name is its Genus species. For example:
o Grizzly bear = Ursas horibles
o Human = ____________________ __________________________________
o Dog = Canine domesticas

 Classification uses 7 taxonomic levels that help show how closely organisms are related. The
more levels they share, the ____________ closely related the organisms are.
 These 7 levels are:

• There are five kingdoms:  Plant, Animal, Monera, Protista & Fungi

PHYLUM
CLASS
ORDER

GENUS
Scientific Name

26
Dichotomous Key Regents Question

27
 EVOLUTION STUDY GUIDE

Vocabulary
1. evolution 9. species
2. natural selection 10. fossil record
3. overproduction 11. mutation 17. classification
4. variation 12. adaptation 18. biological key
5. competition 13. antibiotic resistance 19. genus
6. adaptive value 14. organism similarities 20. species
7. survival of the fittest 15. homologous structures 21. scientific name
8. geologic time 16. vestigial structures

Key Concepts
You should be able to…
• analyze and Create dichotomous keys to identify various organisms
• understand reasons for classification and identifies the 7 major classification groupings
• relate the concepts of overproduction variation, competition and survival of the fittest to natural
selection
• explain how fossil record, similar anatomy, similar embryos and similar biochemistry all provide
evidence of the theory of evolution
• determine evolutionary relationships by analyzing an evolutionary tree
• recognize and explain conditions that can result in speciation
• explain the circumstances that cause a species to become resistant to antibiotics, pesticides, etc

Major Understandings

• All organisms come from a common ancestor.

o The DNA of species changes slowly over time in response to environmental factors.

o Fossils and organism similarities offer proof of this theory of evolution.

o Classification is used to organize the vast number of species in existence as a result of evolution.

28
 Natural Selection
What are the five main points in the theory of natural selection and evolution? Give an example for each.

What does genetic variation mean? What are the two sources of genetic variation?

What is the process shown below?

Describe each step in this process.

29
Evidence of evolution
Using the graphic organizer below list, and describe/define/draw four similarities that are found among
organisms of different species that give evidence that we all came from a common ancestor.

Classification
What are the seven taxonomic levels?

Which two make up an organisms scientific name?

What does a cladogram help people visualize?

Using a cladogram, how can you tell how closely related two organisms are?

What is a dichotomous key?

30
Base your answer to the question on one of the cartoons below, which refer to certain concepts of natural selection,
and on your knowledge of biology.

Choose one cartoon and write its number in the space below. Identify one concept of natural selection represented in
that cartoon, and explain how this concept supports the theory of natural selection. Your answer must:
• identify one concept represented in the cartoon you choose [1]
• briefly explain the concept you identified [1]
• explain the relationship between this concept and the process of natural selection [1]

Cartoon Number: ________

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

31
Reg
gents Evolut
E tion an
nd Clas
ssificattion Questio
ons

1.) In order for new specie

es to develo
op, there m
must be a ch
hange in the
e

(1) tempperature of the

t environment
(2) migraation patterrns within a population
n
(3) geneetic makeup p of a population
(4) rate of
o succession in the en nvironmentt

2.) Which
W state
ement is not part of the
e concept o
of natural se
election?
(1) Individuals that possess
p the
e most favoorable varia ations will h
have the best
chancce of reprodducing.
(2) Variaation occurss among individuals inn a populatiion
(3) More individualss are producced than wwill survive.
(4) Gene es of an individual adapt to a channging envirronment.

3.) The m below shows the ev

T diagram ent speciess of flowers.
volution of ssome differe

h statement about the species

Which s is correct?
c

(1) Spec
cies A, B, C,
C and D camme from diffferent
ancestorrs.
(2) Spec
cies C evolvved from sp
pecies B.
(3) Spec
cies A, B, an
nd C can in
nterbreed
successffully.
(4) Spec
cies A became extinct.

4.) Which
W state
ement conc
cerning prod
duction of o
offspring is correct?
(1) Produuction of offfspring is necessary foor a speciess to survive
e, but it is not
necesssary for an
n individual to survive..
(2) An orrganism can n reproduce e without\ p
performing any of the o other life
proce
esses.
(3) Produuction of offfspring is necessary foor an individ
dual organiism to survive,
while the other life processes are impo ortant for a species too survive.
(4) Reprooduction is a process that require es gametess in all speccies.

32
 5.) Which
W state
ement desc
cribes asexu
ual reprodu
uction?
(1) Adaptive traits are
a usually passed
p from
m parent too offspring w
without gen
netic
modiffication.
(2) Mutattions are noot passed from generaation to genneration.
(3) It alw
ways enablees organism
ms to survivee in changing environmental
condiitions.
(4) It is re
esponsible for many new
n ons in offspring.
variatio

6.) The
T bones in the foreliimbs of thre
ee mamma ls are show
wn at right.

For thesse mammals, the number, positio ones most likely indica
on, and shape of the bo ates
that they
y may have
e

(1) deve
eloped in a common en nvironmentt
(2) deve
eloped from m the same earlier speccies
(3) identtical genetic
c makeup
(4) identtical methodds of obtain
ning food

Base yoour answers s to questio

ons 7 and 8 on the diag
gram
below annd on your knowledge e of biology.
Letters A through J represent different sppecies
of organ
nisms. The vertical disttances betwween
the dotte
ed lines rep
present longg periods of time
in which
h major environmental changes
occurredd.

7.) Which
W spec
cies was the
e first to become
extinct?
e

(1
1) E (2)) J (3) C (4) D

8.) Which
W spec
cies appearrs to have been
b most ssuccessful in surviving
g changes in
the environm
ment over time?
t

(1
1) A (2)) B (3) C (4) H

33
 9.) When
W antibiotics were first develo
oped, most infectious diseases coould be
controlled
c by
b them. To oday, certainn bacteria a
are resistan
nt to many a
antibiotics. One
possible
p explanation foor this chan
nge is

(1) the anntibiotics killed most of

o the bacteria that did not have a genetic
variattion for resistance
(2) the baacteria neeeded to change in orde er to producce more antibiotics
(3) somee of the bac cteria learne
ed how to re
esist the anntibiotics
(4) antibiiotics have become we eaker over the years

Base yo
our answers
s to questio
ons 10 throu
ugh 14 on t he informattion below.

Color in peppered moths

m is co
ontrolled byy genes. A light-coloredd variety an
nd a dark-
colored variety of a peppered moth species exist in nature. The moths oftten rest on tree
trunks, and
a severall different species
s of birds
b are pre
edators of tthis moth. Before
industria
alization in England, thhe light-colo
ored varietyy was much h more abundant than the
dark-colored variety and evide ence indica ates that maany tree trunks at that time were
covered with light-ccolored lichens. Later, industrializzation deveeloped and brought
n which kille
pollution ed the lichens leaving the tree truunks covere ed with darkk-colored so
oot.
The resuults of a stu
udy made in n England area shown.

10.)State
S one possible
p rea
ason that a
la
arger numbber of the dark-coloredd
variety
v were
e present in
n the pollute
ed
environmen
e nt.

_______
_________
__________
__________
_

_______
_________
__________
__________
_

11.)State
S one possible
p rea
ason that the light-colo
ored varietyy was not co
ompletely
eliminated
e from
f the po
olluted envirronment.

_______
_________
__________
__________
_________
__________
_________
__________
____

_______
_________
__________
__________
_________
__________
_________
__________
____

34
 12.)During the past few decades, air pollution control laws in many areas of England
greatly limited the soot and other air pollutants coming from the burning of coal.
State one way the decrease in soot and other air pollutants will most likely
influence the survival of the light-colored variety
of peppered moth.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

13.)The percentage of light-colored moths in the polluted environment was closest to

(1) 16 (2) 24 (3) 42 (4) 76

14.)Which conclusion can best be drawn from the information given?

(1) The trait for dark coloration better suits the peppered moth for survival in
non-polluted environments.
(2) The trait for light coloration better suits the peppered moth for survival in
polluted environments.
(3) The variation of color in the peppered moth has no influence on survival of
the moth.
(4) A given trait may be a favorable adaptation in one environment, but not in
another environment.

35
Beaks of Finches Regents Question

36
Target #1
Use the information in the two diagrams below to answer the questions.
Human Horse Chimpanzee

How does this information support the idea that all humans, chimpanzees and horses are all related?

Explain which two of those three are more closely related using evidence.

Target # 2
How does the diagram show an example of:

Overproduction:

Variation:

Competition:

Survival of the fittest:

How do all of these ideas relate to explain the evolution of the mice?
Target #3
Several thousand years ago a flock of migrating
hawks was driven from its normal route by a severe
storm. The birds ended up on two different islands,
as shown on the map. The environment of island A
is mostly rocks and cliffs like the original nesting
ground. The environment of island B is a dense
forest. The hawks have survived on these islands to
the present day with no migration between the
populations. When put together the hawks can no
longer breed.

Explain how this demonstrates speciation using the terms barrier, isolation, and environment.

Target #4
Base your answer to the question on the
scatter-plot graph and on your knowledge
of biology. The graph shows changes in the
percentage of vancomycin-resistant
bacteria in a population between the years
1983 and 2001.

Explain why the percentage of resistant bacteria increased over time. Use the terms natural selection, mutation
and antibiotic in your answer.
Target #5
The diagram below shows a branching “tree” representing the evolution of ten different groups of organisms
alive today.

What group is the common ancestor of all the other groups?

Identify the group of organisms that is most closely related to the Arthropoda group. Support your answer.

Target #6
The dichotomous key below provides a way to classify some animals into groups according to their physical
characteristics. The key can be used to classify each of the four animals represented below.

Which row in the chart shows the correct classification group for each animal?
Wasp Ant Tiger Bird
1 group D group D group A group B
2 group B group A group D group C
3 group B group D group A group C
4 group D group A group A group B
 TARGET TRACKING - EVOLUTION

1 – Please help 2 – Shaky, I kind 3 – I’m good. I just 4 – I got this! Next
me. I am clueless. of understand but I need some more topic please!
I will come see would like some practice to solidify
I can…
you during RB help. I will come my understanding
see you during RB so I will do HW to
practice.
1. Analyze and explain how information from
organism’s similarities (comparative
anatomy, comparative biochemistry,
comparative embryology) and fossils
provide evidence to support the theory of
evolution

2. Construct an explanation to connect

overproduction, variation, competition and
survival of the fittest to the process of
evolution

3. Explain how speciation occurs.

4. Construct an explanation for how natural

selection and speciation can result in a
species becoming resistant to antibiotics,
pesticides, etc

5. Interpret evolutionary relationships by

analyzing an evolutionary tree/cladogram.

6. Analyze and construct dichotomous keys to

identify various organisms.

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