Vocabulary
This is a trait passed from parents to offspring.
What is an inherited trait?
These preserved remains or traces of organisms provide evidence of past life.
What are fossils?
Organisms that survive and reproduce are said to be this.
What is “fit” (fitness)?
Traits that improve survival and reproduction are called this.
What are adaptations?
Draw a shark tooth.
Draw.
This term describes a change in a species over time.
What is evolution?
Fossils show that species have changed over this long period of time.
What is time (or millions of years)?
This must exist in a population for natural selection to occur.
What is variation?
This type of adaptation involves how an organism acts.
What is a behavioral adaptation?
Why is thick fur beneficial for animals living in cold environments?
What is it helps retain heat and improves survival?
These are different forms of a gene that lead to variation.
What are alleles?
Thinking about the Law of Superposition: Which fossils would be older... the ones deeper in the ground or closer to the surface?
The Deeper = The Older
If a trait helps survival, it is more likely to be this in future generations.
What is passed on (inherited)?
Why would a giraffes neck evolve to be longer over time?
To survive and reproduce - reach food at higher places.
Darwin's scientific theory of evolution explains and predicts...
Species change over time.
This scientist is known for the theory of natural selection.
Who is Charles Darwin?
Which organisms would be more likely to be extinct based on their fossil depth? An organisms fossils that are deep in the group or closer to the surface?
The fossils deeper in the ground.
When the environment changes, populations may do this over time.
What is adapt?
If a white mouse can be easily seen by predators (Hawk), what is a likely adaptation or change the mouse would make over time?
Fur color would evolve from white to a darker color.
Scientists compare the DNA of two species and find they are very similar. What does this suggest?
What is they share a common ancestor?
This is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce.
What is natural selection?
What is the name of the law that describes how older fossils are compared to how young they are?
Law of Superposition
This phrase describes survival of organisms best suited to their environment.
What is “survival of the fittest”?
This adaptation allows some animals to survive cold winters by slowing metabolism.
What is hibernation?
A group of birds has different beak sizes. After a drought, only birds with large beaks survive. What will most likely happen in future generations?
What is the population will have more birds with large beaks?