Download Evolution by Natural Selection Reading Guide

Name:
Hour:
Cardinal Heights
Biology
Number:
Evolution by Natural Selection
(BSCS Biology: pg. 114-118)
1. With many before Darwin proposing the basic idea of evolution. How were his findings unlike earlier
scientist?
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2. List some examples of different traits that are passed down from generation to generation that would
added variation to a population.
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3. What are 2 examples of humans selecting for particular traits in different plants and animals.
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4. Why are horse and donkeys considered two separate species?
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5. Read the observations that lead up to Darwin’s theory of evolution and determine if they are True or
False.
True or False: In the absence of limits to population growth (like a predator or disease) organism
reproduce very quickly.
True or False: This is supported by evidence in nature. Populations in nature keep getting bigger and
bigger.
True or False: In nature, there is almost always a limit to the amount of resources.
6. How did Thomas Malthus’s essay influence Darwin’s views about population growth and size?
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7. Describe Darwin’s final inference concerning the struggle for existence among a population of organism.
(Hint: Think only the strong survive . . . )
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Name:
Hour:
Number:
Cardinal Heights
Biology
8. How do adaptations relate to natural selection?
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9. What is the difference between selective breeding and natural selection?
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10. What are the three factors that affect natural selection?
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11. What determines an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in the face of pressures (ex. competition
and predation)?
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12. Where do the characteristics organisms need to survive come from?
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13. True or False: An individual can evolve to become a new species.
14. How do different species result from natural selection? Use the terms: population, characteristics, natural
selection, and ancestor in your response.
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15. How does natural selection relate back to Darwin’s Decent by Modification theory?
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16. Wrap up question: Describe how exactly natural selection works and what it may result in. Use the
following terms in your answer: variation, selection, inheritance, survival, reproduction, and beneficial
traits. (Hint: Think of the example of the rabbits) (Application)
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Name:
Hour:
Cardinal Heights
Biology
Number:
Vocabulary
Fill in the following chart using your reading and reading guide. You need to understand these vocabulary terms
in order to fully understand the reading and/or biology content.
Word
Formal Definition
“Own Words”
Definition
Sentence
Example
Visual
Representation
Species
Adaptations
Competition
Predation
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