Name:

Class:

Year 10
Evolution

Insight Science Stage 5

Chapter 12 pg. 235-259
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 2. 1 . 1 Variation & Adaptations
A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed to
produce fertile offspring. Within a species there are
differences between individuals - variations.
The differences can be due to genetic make-up or to
environmental factors. You may be born with genes to be
tall, but if your diet is poor with insufficient protein and
vitamins you may not reach your potential adult h eigh t.
Instead you will be as tall as someone with genes for a
sh orter height who has reached their maximum potential.

Variations can be structural, e.g. the size of individuals

or the length and width of limbs, biochemical, e.g.
blood group or the sequence of amino acids in protein
such as the protein haemoglobin in red blood cells, physiological, e.g. the ability to smell different odours,
or developmental, e.g. changes that are age-related occur at different times for different people or in
different ways. Behavioural adaptations lead to variations. These behavioural differences can be inherited
0 behaviours carried out by instinct, e.g. newly hatched sea turtles will automatically walk towards the ocean
or can be learned behaviours, e.g. the hunting skills of a predator. Variation can be between individuals or
between groups in different geographic locations.
Variation within a population is caused by mutation, sexual reproduction (half the genetic information
comes from the mother and half comes from the father), random segregation of chromosomes during the
formation of the gametes or due to crossing over during meiosis. Different forms of a species are classified
as subspecies or races. The different forms are usually suited to different environments.
Variation is very important
Structural features Caudal fin First dorsal fin
in natural selection. In a
Sharks are classified Second dorsal fi
changing environment, on different structural
those individuals with features, e.g. number of
favourable traits will dorsal fins, if the dorsal
survive to reproduce. fins have spines, if the
mouth is in front of the
Their offspring inherit
eyes and if they have
the favourable traits and nictitating eyelids. Anal fin
over time those traits Pelvic fin
become more common in
the population - they are Physiological differences Behavioural differences
naturally selected. The Some sharks are adapted for a wide range of Some sharks form schools, e.g.
aquatic habitats, e.g. shallow coastal habitats, hammerhead sharks. Some
population changes as deep-water ocean floor and open ocean. sharks rush towards their prey
more and more have the Other sharks can live in fresh water, e.g. and attack from beneath and
favourable traits - we call bull sharks. Body functioning determines their behind, e.g. great white sharks.
this evolution. ability to live in water with different Bottom feeders use their upper

u temperatures or different salt concentrations. jaw to pick up prey.

u Science Press
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 CHAPTER 2 Evolution

Adaptations and ACTIVITY

evolution
SKILLS
• Processing and analysing data and
information
• Critical and creative thinking
SYLLABUS
Students:
• describe scientific evidence of the
evolution of present-day organisms
2.3
• Literacy • explain how natural selection can
change populations

1 Below are examples of two animals with special adaptations that have evolved over time. Read about the
adaptations of these animals and then answer the questions below.

POLAR BEARS
Polar bears live in the Arctic. Some of the polar bear’s adaptations to living in this environment are
listed below.

• Black skin to absorb heat well

• White appearance for camouflage

• Thick layers of fat and fur for insulation

• Enter a den when pregnant, give birth, and emerge three months later

• Wide feet with hair on their soles to avoid slipping

• Will swim when hunting

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 CHAPTER 2 Evolution

CAMELS
Camels live in deserts. Some of the camel’s adaptations to living in this environment are listed below.

• Can go for a long time without water

• Slit-like nostrils and two rows of eyelashes to help keep the sand out

• Wide, flat feet to help them walk on the sand

• Thick fur to protect their skin from sunlight

• Special ‘calls’ that attract mates through long-distance communication

• Able to walk within a few hours of being born

a Choose three structural adaptations of the polar bear and explain how each gives the polar bear a
survival advantage in its habitat.

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28 OXFORD INSIGHT SCIENCE 10 AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM FOR NSW WORKBOOK Copyright © Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195573749
 CHAPTER 2 Evolution

b Choose three structural adaptations of the camel and explain how each gives the camel a survival
advantage in its habitat.

c Choose two behavioural adaptations of the polar bear and explain how each gives the polar bear a
survival advantage in its habitat.

d Choose two behavioural adaptations of the camel and explain how each gives the camel a survival
advantage in its habitat.

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Copyright © Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195573749 OXFORD INSIGHT SCIENCE 10 AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM FOR NSW WORKBOOK
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13.1 — Natural Selection
Evolution involves the gradual changes that occur in a species of organisms over a long period of
time such that they become better adapted to a specific ecological niche. Natural selection is the
process through which evolution occurs.

These four steps can be used to outline the process of natural selection:

me Selective Gradual change

Variation Ee Inheritance 6
reproduction in population

Activity 1: Watch this short video on natural selection.

@ Natural Selection: It’s Pretty Random — by Greer Clarke (2012)

www.blitzingbiology.com.au/linksmodule3 Link 13.1.1

Activity 2: Fill-in-the-blanks
° adapted ¢ advantageous ¢ change e common ° growth e inheritance
e limited @ live e next @ niche © pressures ¢ selection ¢ survive © vary

Natural selection involves selection favouring the survival of individuals with

traits that are advantageous in their ecological . Variation is essential for natural
to occur. In a given species, individuals in certain traits. The

environment has resources, so cannot support unlimited population

of any species. Hence not all members of a population will to
reproduce. Selection pressures determine which individuals to reproduce. These selection

pressures will favour any traits that are . These traits are passed onto
the generation through genetic . As a result, gradual
occurs across the population over time, with the advantageous trait becoming more
. Hence the species becomes better to its ecological niche.
o

Activity 3: Add numbers to correctly order the events in the natural selection of the peppered moth.

Dark colourings were more common in offspring of dark coloured moths due to inheritance.

Over time, habitats affected by soot had a higher ratio of dark coloured moths than they had
prior to the Industrial Revolution.

In the peppered moth population, there was variation in colour (some light, some dark).

The Industrial Revolution put soot on light coloured trees in the moth’s habitat, making the
dark coloured moths better camouflaged and so more likely to live to reproduce.

Module 3: Biological Diversity 166 © Blitzing Publications

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11.3 — Examples of selection pressures

Activity 1: Consider the following selection pressures on wombats.

Classify each selection pressure as being primarily abiotic or biotic.

Abiotic Biotic

a) Soil erosion can damage wombat burrows and reduce available areas for them
O O
to dig new burrows.

b) Higher temperatures restrict wombat activity, with a tendency for them to

UU
remain in their burrows to stay cool.

UU
Wombats rely on availability of native grasses as a food source.

UH
UO
Wombats are usually solitary animals, and can act aggressively towards other

OF

UO
wombats. They warn off other wombats using low, guttural growls.

Introduced foxes have become predators for wombats.

OF

OF
f) Wombats need sufficient oxygen gas to be available in their ecosystem for

Oo

Oo
cellular respiration.

8) Mange mites can bite wombats and live as parasites on them. This causes

C
itchiness, and in some cases, poor vision, reduced eating and eventually death.

h) Snow occurs in some wombat habitats. Most wombats can remain active in
snowy areas, as they have adaptations to stay sufficiently warm.

Wombats that are exposed to domestic livestock can become infected with
liver fluke (which is common in farmed sheep).

Module 3: Biological Diversity 15411 © Blitzing Publications

Activity 4: Use the following information to answer the questions below. |

The coconut crab (Birgus latro) has evolved over meee ie |

time to be capable of climbing coconut trees to
access coconuts as a food source. It has also
evolved to have large, powerful claws that can
crack open coconuts. These adaptations have
helped this species copé with the limited food
supplies available on the Pacific and Indian
Ocean islands on which they live.

a) Identify a selection pressure that has acted on the coconut crab as it has evolved.

b) Is this selection pressure abiotic or biotic? |

c) Explain how this selection pressure has impacted the evolution of this species of crab.

Activity 5: Use the following information to answer the questions below.

The common name ‘strangler fig’ can refer to a number of species,

including Ficus watkinsiana. The seeds of strangler figs germinate on
high branches of other trees. The strangler fig then grows aerial roots
downwards until the roots reach the soil. As the strangler fig
continues to grow, it surrounds the host tree, causing the host tree
to eventually die. The strangler fig then exists as a free-standing tree,
often with a hollow trunk where the host has rotted way. The
evolution of this unusual method of germination and growth in
strangler figs is hypothesised to be a response to lack of light for the
fig saplings to successfully grow on the forest floor.

a) Identify the selection pressure that is thought to have caused species such as Ficus watkinsania to
exist as ‘strangler figs’.

b) Is this selection pressure abiotic or biotic?

c) Strangler figs can use a variety of other tree species as hosts. Do you think strangler figs represent
a strong or weak selection pressure on their various host species? Justify your answer.

Module 3: Biological Diversity 156 © Blitzing Publications

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 CHAPTER 2 Evolution

Natural selection ACTIVITY

SKILLS
• Processing and analysing data and
information
• Communicating
• Critical and creative thinking
• Numeracy
• Literacy
SYLLABUS
Students:
• explain how natural selection can
change populations
2.2
Natural selection is the driving force behind evolution. Where there is variation between individuals of a
population, some individuals will be more ‘fit’ than others and so are more likely to survive to reproduce
and pass their genetic differences on to the next generation.
1 Classify the following statements as either true or false.

a Darwin did not propose a mechanism for his theory of evolution.

b Natural selection only occurs for animals and not plants.

c Artificial selection occurs when humans choose to deliberately breed cattle to promote animal size.

d Natural selection can only work if there are variations in a population.

2 Identify the term from each pair that makes each statement true.

a There is no/some genetic variation between the individuals of a species.

b Resources are usually limited/plentiful, which results in competition/cooperation between individuals.

c Fitter individuals are more/less likely to survive and have more/less offspring than those that are
less fit.

d Genetic characteristics can/can’t be passed to the next generation.

3 In his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Darwin speculated about how a land
mammal could turn into a whale. He stated that the evolution of a species must occur over long periods of
time, over many, many generations.

Explain why the evolution of a new species must take many generations, rather than just one or two.

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 CHAPTER 2 Evolution

4 Define the term ‘sexual selection’ and explain how this is different to natural selection.

5 Identify how the genetic variations between individuals arise.

6 The basic steps of the evolution of a species of Darwin’s finches are listed below, but they are not in
chronological order. Identify the order in which they would have occurred by numbering the steps below.

• Individuals with multiple food sources were healthy and produced multiple offspring that inherited their
larger beak.

• In the next generation of birds, larger beaks were more common.

• There was genetic variation in the beak shape and size between individuals of a population of finches on
the islands.

• Over many generations of eating tough seeds, the average beak size increased in the population until it
was different enough from the other finches for them to be considered a separate species.

• Individuals with a beak shape and size that allowed them to crack open bigger and tougher seeds gained
an extra food source.

• Limited food resources meant that some individuals would not be able to eat enough to survive.

• Individuals that couldn’t crack open the bigger seeds starved or didn’t have enough energy to breed.

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24 OXFORD INSIGHT SCIENCE 10 AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM FOR NSW WORKBOOK Copyright © Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195573749
 CHAPTER 2 Evolution

7 If a full dose of antibiotics is given, all bacteria die. If a lesser dose is given, those with genetically greater
resistance survive. If this continues, these genes are concentrated until you are left with bacteria that can
survive a full dose. It is essentially the same process farmers use to breed fatter sheep or cows that produce
more milk.

A geneticist was investigating the resistance of a particular strain of bacteria to four different antibiotics. They
divided 10 agar plates into quarters, and added a drop of the different antibiotics to each quarter as shown in
Figure 2.1. Each agar plate was then inoculated with bacteria, and left to grow in an incubator for 10 days. Where
the bacteria is not resistant to the antibiotic, the colonies will grow across the surface of the agar but leave an
empty ring around the drop of antibiotic (see Figure 2.2). The results are shown in the table below.

Antibiotic A Antibiotic B Antibiotic A Antibiotic B

Antibiotic C Antibiotic D Antibiotic C Antibiotic D

Figure 2.1 Figure 2.2

RESULTS
PLATE PLATE PLATE PLATE PLATE PLATE PLATE PLATE PLATE PLATE AVERAGE
ANTIBIOTIC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 GROWTH
A 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

B 50% 45% 60% 55% 45% 40% 60% 50% 55% 50%

C 75% 80% 100% 85% 80% 75% 70% 80% 85% 90%

D 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

a Calculate the average percentage growth for each antibiotic.

b Explain why the average of 10 agar plates was used rather than the results from a single plate.

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Copyright © Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195573749 OXFORD INSIGHT SCIENCE 10 AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM FOR NSW WORKBOOK
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 CHAPTER 2 Evolution

c Deduce the antibiotic to which this strain of bacteria is resistant. Justify your reasoning.

d Identify the selective pressure on the bacteria species.

e Examine the result for Antibiotic C on Plate 3. In terms of evolution, explain what may have
happened here.

f Identify which antibiotic you would prescribe for someone infected with this strain of bacteria. Justify
your reasoning.

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26 OXFORD INSIGHT SCIENCE 10 AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM FOR NSW WORKBOOK Copyright © Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195573749
13.5 — Sexual selection

Activity 1: Fill-in-the-blanks
e antlers ¢ attract bower ° change e dance « fight increase e inherit @ likely e males
e mating ¢ natural e objects ¢ pressure © reproduce ° selection ¢ survival e variation

Natural occurs p's

_ =
when a selection pressure favours

the of a particular

variation in a species. Members of

the population with this favourable

are more likely

to survive to reproduce, allowing

their offspring to the

advantageous trait.

Sexual selection is a form of

selection. In sexual selection, the selection is finding a mate |

with whom to . In most species, particular traits make an individual more ti )

likely to be chosen asa partner. For example, male bowerbirds build nuptial bowers

that are constructed of twigs and any blue they can find. If a female bowerbird is ih
impressed with the , the male then has to dance for her as a further test. The female

bowerbird will only mate with a male if both his bower and impress her. In other

species, the strength of the male to other males for mating privileges also comes into

play. For example, the of stags (male deer) assist in fights for dominance among

, with the winner more likely to female mates. In each case, the traits

that the likelihood to be chosen as a mating partner are more to be

inherited by offspring, leading to gradual in the population over time.

aes“3 ey Sadie PSN cit

ais, a: 5

© Blitzing Publications Module 3: Biological Diversity

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 Activity 2: Use the four steps of natural selection to explain how each of these favourable traits for
mating has become common in the given species’ population.

a) Male peacock spiders perform an intricate courtship ritual

that involves waggling a colourful flap on their abdomen,
while waving their legs about in the air and creating a
vibrating beat. The female peacock spider appears to
choose partners based on the quality of this performance,
and is also known to attack and eat candidates whose
performance is not up to her standard.

b) Male frigate birds spend about 20 minutes forcing air into

their throat sacs, which expand like a balloon. Bigger,
shinier throat sacs seem to be more attractive to the
ladies. The males flap their wings, waggle their heads and
i call to the females to draw attention to their attractive
throat sac.

c) Male lions will fight to the death to take over another

male’s pride (which includes female mating partners).
If a new male wins the fight using his size, strength,
teeth and claws, he has mating rights with the females
in the pride. Often, he will also kill any male infants in
the pride that are not his own offspring.

Module 3: Biological Diversity 174 © Blitzing Publications

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men neers esos ns

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14.1 — Divergent and convergent evolution

e Divergent evolution is defined as organisms that are closely related developing different traits
through natural selection.
¢ Convergent evolution is defined as organisms that are not closely related developing similar
traits in response to similar selection pressures.

Activity 1: Classify each of these examples as either divergent or convergent evolution.

a) Both cacti plants and echidnas have spikes that assist in

protecting them from other organisms.

b) Dolphins, which are mammals, have streamlined bodies to help

them swim quickly. Similarly, sharks, which are fish, have
streamlined bodies to aid their speed of swimming.

c) Red-bellied blacksnakes in Queensland have smaller jaws than

those in New South Wales due to cane toad exposure.

d) An ancestral finch species arrived on the Galapagos Islands, |

and in subsequent years has evolved into several different |
species of finches, with distinctive beaks and ecological niches.

e) Wombats and platypuses both have fur to assist in maintaining

a warm core body temperature, in spite of cold environments.

f) Several species of bacteria that are not closely related have

developed antibiotic resistance to penicillin.

g) Whipbirds on the east coast of Australia have become isolated

from those on the west coast of Australia. The two populations
have evolved to be distinctive species.

h) Both wolves and tigers have powerful jaws, sharp teeth and
muscles that support rapid movement. This assists both types
of organisms in catching prey.

Activity 2: Provide an example of your own for divergent evolution and convergent evolution.

e Divergent evolution example:

© Convergent evolution example:

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 ANALYSING FOSSILS
a Fossils include the remains of dead organisms,
parts of a dead organism or even the evidence
that an organism existed. Fossils are extremely
important for understanding the evolutionary
history of life on the Earth because they
provide direct evidence of evolution and
b detailed information on the ancestry of
organisms. Palaeontologists study fossil
records and determine their relationships with
different geological time periods.
Fossilisation requires the organism, or its
traces, to be buried quickly so that weathering
and total decomposition do not occur. Skeletal
structures, as well as other hard parts of the
organisms that resist weathering and are
c slower to decompose, are the most commonly
occurring form of fossilised remains. Trace
fossils are moulds, casts or imprints of the
activity of previous organisms. An example of
a trace fossil is a dinosaur footprint preserved
in rock.

Figure 2.49 Formation of a fossil. (a and b) If an

organism dies near water, it has a greater chance of
being covered by sediment. The sediment protects
the body from predators and weathering. (c) Over
millions of years, more sediment is deposited. The
soft parts of the organism often rot away, while
hard parts are replaced by minerals. The sediment
layers eventually form rock. (d) Years of geological
movement, weathering and erosion may eventually Figure 2.50 Fossilised megafauna (giant animal)
expose the fossil. footprints.

ACTIVITY 2.3.1: EXAMINING BONES

Examine a selection of real bones or cast bones carefully. Use your understanding of
the skeletal and muscular systems to identify features of the bones that could indicate
characteristics such as muscle attachment, animal size, the entry and exit of blood vessels
and nerves or the function of that bone. How might the bones of modern animals be used
to help interpret fossils?

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86 OXFORD INSIGHT SCIENCE 10 AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM FOR NSW STAGE 5

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 DEEPER
Lightning Ridge fossil site U N D E R S TA N D I N G

Lightning Ridge fossils are among the most precious and beautiful fossils in the world.
Approximately 110 million years ago, Australia was part of Gondwana and the area around
Lightning Ridge (northern New South Wales) was a river delta. Animal and plant fossils
found at the site include microbes, pine cones, snails, dinosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs,
lungfish and monotremes. Some of these fossils retain internal details, whereas others are
an opalised cast of the original material. The most beautiful fossils are preserved in the black
opal for which Lightning Ridge is famous.
As well as being beautiful, the fossils of Lightning Ridge have given scientists a valuable
snapshot of Australia’s flora and fauna at the end of the Cretaceous period, and include some
of the oldest mammal fossils found in Australia.

Figure 2.51 Opalised jawbone of Steropodon, a toothed platypus-like monotreme.

ACTIVITY 2.3.2: EXAMINING FOSSILS

From a selection of fossils, examine each fossil individually and make careful observations
of the structures you can see.
1 What do you definitely know about the organism preserved in the fossil?
2 What can be inferred from the structures you have observed in the fossil? Consider
lifestyle, diet, reproductive behaviours etc.
3 What further evidence would you require to support your inferences?

Dating fossils
It is possible to find out how a particular group of
organisms evolved by arranging its fossil record
in a chronological sequence. Relative dating can
Figure 2.52 Relative
provide approximate dates for most fossils because dating uses the sequence
fossils are found mainly in sedimentary rock. As of rock layers to
determine which fossils
you learned in year 8, layers of silt or mud on top are relatively older or
of each other form sedimentary rock. The resulting younger. Older layers are
towards the bottom, so
rock contains a series of horizontal layers, or strata. older fossils are found in
Each layer contains fossils that are typical for a these layers.
specific time period during which they were made.
The lowest strata contain the oldest rock and the
earliest fossils, whereas the highest strata contain
the youngest rock and more recent fossils.
Geological time is divided into eras and periods
on the basis of different sets of fossils. Major changes
(extinction events) mark the larger divisions.
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2.3 Evidence for evolution 87

02_ZHA_IS10_77570_TXT_SI.indd 87 14/11/14 2:13 PM

 Advances in our understanding of matter transitional fossils was the most formidable
have led to technologies that can provide more obstacle to his theory because, at that
accurate timeframes for fossils. Absolute time, very little was known about the fossil
dating (also known as radiometric dating) record. Since then, numerous examples
relies on the level of radioactivity detected in have been found, starting with the discovery
rocks containing radioisotopes. The best rocks of Archaeopteryx in the Solnhofen area of
for radiometric dating are volcanic rocks that Germany just 2 years after Darwin’s work was
contain uranium isotopes, but these rocks do published.
not contain fossils. To obtain a more accurate Archaeopteryx is considered by some
idea of the age of a fossil, scientists examine scientists to be the earliest and most primitive
volcanic rock layers above or below the fossil. bird known, displaying a number of features
These provide a range of dates for that rock common to both birds and reptiles. Other
stratum. Scientists can calculate an absolute scientists think that Archaeopteryx should be
date range for a set of fossils by combining considered a feathered dinosaur. All agree that
data from several sites. In rare cases, a layer of it is an important transitional species.
volcanic ash in sedimentary rocks will provide

Living fossils
an absolute date.

Transitional fossils According to fossil records, some modern

species of plants and animals are almost Figure 2.54 Archaeopteryx
fossils are called
It is thought that life originated in the sea, identical to species that lived in ancient transitional fossils as they
crawled onto land and then took to the geological ages. Living fossils are existing help explain the previously
unknown link between
skies. But what evidence links these stages? species of ancient lineages that have remained
dinosaurs (reptiles) and
Transitional fossils show the intermediate unchanged in structure and form for a very modern birds.
states between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ stages. long time.
They are sometimes referred to as ‘missing Examples of living fossils include the
links’, but knowledge of geology and evolution coelacanth fish (Figure 2.55), horseshoe crabs,
allows palaeontologists to predict the location the Ginkgo trees and Metasequoia conifers
of transitional fossils and find them. of China, and the Wollemi pine, which was
When Darwin first published his theory discovered in New South Wales in 1994.
of evolution, he stressed that the lack of

Figure 2.55 Unique in

the animal kingdom,
the coelacanth fish is
a 400 million-year-old
species! The coelacanth
pre-dates dinosaurs by
millions of years and was
thought to have become
extinct with them. In
1938, coelacanths were
discovered living in caves
off the continental shelf.
This environment has
changed little over the
past 400 million years
and, as a result, neither
has the coelacanth.

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2.3 Evidence for evolution 89

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27
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RELATIVE DATING USING STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS

• Fossils can be used to work out the approximate ages of rocks.

• Rock layers containing the same fossils are usually the same age.

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Name: -------------------- Date: ------- Period: -----
UNIT 4: EVOLUTION TOPIC B: EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

Background
When Charles Darwin first proposed the idea that all new species descend from an ancestor, he performed an
exhaustive amount ofresearch to provide as much evidence as possible. Today, the major pieces ofevidence for
this theory can be broken down into the fossil record, embryology, comparative anatomy, and molecular biology.

Fossils
This is a series ofskulls and front leg fossils oforganisms believed to be ancestors ofthe modem-day horse.

�'
�
�
-41, �fj)
.:,
�-·· ..
1/
� gj
'
�;p
....-.:;:;-,
,

·�
Ii
�

-t
'� u n ,i i i i
. i

·u'
.

1'..J
u'
(

:i .� @ �
I
Equus Pilohippus Merychippus Mesohippus Eohippus
(modern horse) (Dawn Horse)

1. Give two similarities between each ofthe skulls that might lead to the conclusion that these are all
related species.

2. What is the biggest change in skull anatomy that occurred from the dawn horse to the modem horse?

3. What is the biggest change in leg anatomy that occurred from the dawn horse to the modem horse?

31
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Name: _____________________ Date: ________ Period: _____
UNIT 4: EVOLUTION TOPIC B: EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

Embryology
Organisms that are closely related may also have physical similarities before they are even born! Take a look at the
six different embryos below at their earliest stage.

'

I '·....... ,.-, �.

Hypothesize which embryo is from each of the following organisms:

Species Embrvo Species Embryo

Human Tortoise
Chicken Salamander
Rabbit Fish

These are older, more developed embryos from the same organisms, at a middle stage.

..
,.,.. . ... ·.,
- ,

'\,.�

Hypothesize which embryo is from each of the following organisms:

Species Embryo Species Embryo

Human Tortoise
Chicken Salamander
Rabbit Fish

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Name: ___________________ Date: _______ Period: _____
UNIT 4: EVOLUTION TOPIC B: EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

These are embryos at their most advanced stage, shortly before birth.

Fish Salarnandcr Tortoise Chick Rabbit Human

4. Describe how the embryos changed for each of these organisms from their earliest to latest stages.

Species Anatomical Chane:es From Earlv to Late Stae:es

Human
Chicken
Rabbit

Tortoise
Salamander
Fish

5. Look again at the six embryos in their earliest stages. Describe the patterns you see. What
physical similarities exist between each of the embryos?

6. Does this suggest an evolutionary relationship? Explain how these embryos can be used as evidence of
a common ancestor between each of these six organisms.

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Name: ------------------- Date: ------- Period: -----
UNIT 4: EVOLUTION TOPIC B: EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

For each animal, indicate what type of movement each limb is responsible for.

Animal Primary Functions

Human Example: Using tools, picking up and holding objects

Whale

Cat

Bat

Bird

Crocodile

Compare the skeletal structure of each limb to the human arm. Relate the differences you see inform to the
differences injunction.

Animal Comparison to Human in Form Comparison to Human in Function

Example: Shorter & thicker humerus, radius, & Example: Whale fin needs to be longer to help move
Whale
ulna; longer metacarpals; thumb shortened to stub through water; thumbs are not necessary as fins
aren't used for grasping

Cat

Bat

Bird

Crocodile

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Name: ___________________ Date: _______ Period: _____
UNIT 4: EVOLUTION TOPIC B: EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

Compare the anatomy of the butterfly and bird wing below.

butterfly wing
�===----- ,..,._,/
' '. . ' .�-,/·

.-?i"""""'-====----
�:
-•�:
,�._
, .
\
I

7. What is the function of each of these structures?

8. How are they different in form? Give specific differences.

-
Compare the overall body structure of the cave fish and the minnow below.

9. What is the biggest, most obvious difference between the body structures of these two fish?

10. Assume the two fish came from the same original ancestor. Why might the cave fish have evolved
without eyesight?

11. What kind of sensory adaptation would you hypothesize the cave fish has to allow it to navigate in a
cave, including catching and eating food?

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Name: - - ----------------- Date: ------- Period: -----
UNIT 4: EVOLUTION TOPIC B: EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

You have now studied three different types of anatomical structures:

Homologous structures show individual variations on a common anatomical theme. These are seen in organisms
that are closely related.

12. Give an example of a homologous structure from this activity.

Analogous structures have very different anatomies but similar functions. These are seen in organisms that are not
necessarily closely related, but live in similar environments and have similar adaptations.

13. Give an example of an analogous structure from this activity.

Vestigial structures are anatomical remnants that were important in the organism's ancestors, but are no longer
used in the same way.

14. Give an example of a vestigial structure from this activity.

Below are some vestigial structures found in humans. For each, hypothesize what its function may have been.

Structure Possible Function

Wisdom teeth

Appendix

Muscles for moving the ear

Body hair

Little toe

Tailbone

15. How are vestigial structures an example of evidence of evolution?

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