Variation within Species
What is variation? Give one example.
Differences between individuals; e.g. eye color.
What is natural selection?
When better-adapted individuals survive and reproduce.
Name one natural environmental change that can affect species.
Floods, droughts, wildfires, etc.
I’m a gas you can’t see, but I trap the heat and warm the Earth — who am I?
CO2
What is an asteroid?
A rocky object orbiting the Sun.
"I’m why no two zebras share the same stripes.
I come from shuffled genes and DNA types.
Passed from parents, I help species survive—
What am I, keeping nature alive?"
Genetic variation
(Also accept: genetic diversity or inherited differences)
I studied birds on islands and changed the way we think of species. Who am I and what I study?
Charles Darwin; finches/birds
What might happen to animals if their main food source disappears?
They may starve, migrate, or die out.
What is climate change?
A long-term shift in global temperatures and weather.
I crashed 66 million years ago, changing life forever, and ending the reign of giants. What am I?
Mass extinction
Why is variation important for survival in a changing environment?
It increases the chances that some individuals will survive.
Why do individuals with advantageous traits survive better in nature?
Their traits help them get food, escape predators, or reproduce.
When my home is gone, I cannot stay; without food, I may wander away. What am I describing?
habitat destruction leading to extinction
How does climate change affect polar ecosystems?
Ice melts, animals lose habitat, food chains collapse.
How can an asteroid impact affect Earth’s climate?
It throws dust into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and cooling the Earth.
Selective breeding increases certain traits. Explain why this can be risky for long-term survival of a species.
It reduces genetic diversity, making species more vulnerable to disease or change.
Some insects survive toxicant due to mutations. Explain how these traits spread through the population and what might happen if pesticide use continues for many generations.
Survivors pass the resistance trait on → most of the population becomes resistant.
A sudden volcanic eruption changes the climate in an area. Compare how species with fast vs. slow reproduction might respond to this change over time.
Fast reproducers adapt quickly; slow reproducers may go extinct.
Explain how climate change can lead to both floods and droughts in different regions. Why does this make it harder for humans and wildlife to adapt?
Changes in rainfall and temperature patterns cause extremes, and it’s hard to prepare for both.
An asteroid hits the ocean instead of land. Explain why this could still cause global damage and extinction.
It creates huge tsunamis and throws steam and particles into the atmosphere.
Explain how genetic inheritance and environmental factors together create variation within a species.
Variation arises because genes inherited from parents combine with environmental influences, creating differences in traits within a species.
Two populations of the same species live in different environments. Describe how natural selection could cause them to develop unique traits and stop interbreeding over time.
Different environments = different traits selected → over time, they become too different to reproduce = new species.
If multiple environmental changes occur simultaneously—like habitat loss, climate shifts, and invasive species—how might these combined stresses affect the evolutionary path of native species? Give at least three ideas.
The combined stresses can accelerate extinction risks, force rapid adaptation, or cause unexpected changes in species’ traits, potentially leading to new evolutionary paths or ecosystem collapse.
Climate change affects the timing of seasons. Evaluate how this could disrupt food chains and animal reproduction cycles. Give at least three ideas.
Plants may bloom early, insects hatch sooner, and animals may miss key food, causing imbalance.
Design a realistic asteroid defense plan:
1. explain the technology used
2. how will global cooperation happen?
Use early detection and a kinetic impactor or nuclear device; countries must work together and share tech/data.