What is natural selection?
Species that are best adapted to their environment are able to reproduce
True or false : populations evolve, not individuals.
True
What causes evolution?
Natural selection over generations
Bat wings, cat paws, and whale fins are an example of this
Homolgous structure
What does common ancestry mean?
Species that are related shared a common ancestor
What is an adaptation?
Any inherited characteristic that increases an organisms chance of survival
The passing of a physical traits of organisms in the same species
heredity
What is the evidence for evolution? name three
Anatomy, fossils, embryology, DNA/amino acids, fossils
How are fossils used as proof of evolution?
Show how species change over time (oldest buried deepest, most recent near the surface)
What does the 'tree of life' show?
That animals descend from a common ancestor
What adaptation do polar bears have and how does it help them?
Polar bears have thick white fur which keeps them warm and allows them to hide from their prey
Explain which mouse is better adapted to this environment.
The grey mouse is better adapted to this environment. Its fur color blends in with the environment and therefore is not seen by predators.
True or false: evolution happens quickly and can change in one generation
False
How is Anatomy used as proof of evolution?
Species that share a common ancestor have body structures that are similar because the common ancestor had those structures
In an arctic habitat; are white foxes or grey foxes more likely to survive and why?
White foxes are more likely to survive becase their white coats help them blend into the snow
What are the 3 things needed for natural selection to happen?
variation, selection pressure, isolation
What proves that animals are the same species?
Fill in the blank: Organisms with traits that _____ their chances of surviving and reproducing in their environment tend to leave more offspring
Increase
How is embryology proof of evolution?
Many organisms of different species look similar during early stages of development.
What causes variation in a population? (List at least 2)
mutations, sexual reproduction, meiosis
In an environment with food that grows on trees; are animals with long legs more likely to survive than animals with short legs and why?
Yes, animals with long legs, necks or any trait that makes them taller will be more likely to survive because they have easier access to food.
The 2 compounds we could analyse to determine if two species are closely related
Proteins & DNA
Fill in the blank: Natural selection over many generations causes ______
Evolution
How can comparing biological molecules be used to see how related 2 species are?
Comparing DNA or amino acids of species shows us who is related. The more similar the DNA is, the more recently they shared a common ancestor
Outline the peppered moths case study.
White and black moths, after industrial revolution, trees were stained with soot, black moths had advantage over white moths, changed population over time to make black moths survive over white moths