Adaptation
What is an adaptation?
Any heritable trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.
What is Natural Selection?
Survival of the fittest. When organisms that are most suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully.
What is evolution?
Change over time. Modern organisms descending from ancient organism.
Who is Charles Darwin and why is he important?
A naturalist and scientist from England. His work on the theory of Evolution is one of the most significant theories in science.
What is the name of the island where Moana and her family lives?
Motunui
What does it mean to be heritable?
Inherited from parents or passed down to offspring. Genes.
What is artificial selection?
The selective breeding of plants and animals to promote desirable traits in offspring.
What is common descent?
Darwin's idea that all species have descended from ancient common ancestors.
Where and how did Darwin develop his theories?
The Galapagos, South America, Australia, Africa.
He made detailed observations of different species and combined his observations with the work of other scientists.
What was the animal that Gramma Tala came back to Moana as?
Sting Ray
What is a trait?
A specific characteristic of an individual.
How did the ecosystem in England effect the peppered moth?
The trees became covered in coal dust, allowing the darker moths to blend in and causing the lighter moths to be more susceptible to predators.
How is evolution related to natural selection?
Natural selection is the process that drives evolution. As organisms survive and reproduce, traits that are passed down adapt and change over time.
What did Darwin observe about the variation of species in a local area?
Different, related species often live in different habitats within a local area.
(Variation of Rhea characteristics)
What was Moana trying to get Maui to do?
Help return the heart of Te Fiti
What are three types of adaptations we discussed in class?
Camouflage, mimicry, and defensive behavior
How does a predator affect an ecosystem and influence natural selection?
Species that the predators eat will either develop an adaptation to help it survive, or it will face extinction. Predators test the fitness, or the ability to survive and reproduce, of its prey.
Similar Anatomy in different types of animals because of common ancestor
What are Homologous Body Structures
What did Darwin observe about the variation of species around the world?
Places around the world that have similar habitats often have different animals that are ecologically similar.
(Ostriches, Emu, Rheas)
What was the name of the giant crab?
Tamatoa
How does fitness relate to adaptation?
Fitness describes how well an organism is adapted to survive and reproduce in its environment.
When does natural selection occur?
When more individuals are born than can survive, there is heritable variation, and individuals have different fitness rates.
"leftover" traces of evolution that serve no purpose
What are Vestigial Organs
What did Darwin observe about the variation of species over time?
Some fossils of extinct animals are similar to living species.
(Glyptodont vs armadillo)
What does the name Moana mean?
Ocean