Download Evolution Review Sheet Living Environment Mrs. Adams 1

Evolution Review Sheet
Living Environment
Mrs. Adams
1. Evolution, or change over time, is the process by which modern organisms have descended
from ancient organisms
2. A scientific theory is a well-supported, testable explanation of phenomena that have
occurred in the natural world.
3. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who made numerous observations during his travels
on the Beagle which led him to pose a hypothesis about how life changes over time.
4. Fossils are the preserved remains of ancient organisms that provide evidence for how life
has changed over time.
5. The ‘survival of the fittest ‘means that members of each species compete regularly for
food and other necessary resources.
6. Any inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s chance of survival, like webbed
feet, sharp
claws, or speed, is called an advantage.
7. The process whereby individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and
reproduce more successfully is called ‘natural selection’, which Darwin nicknamed the ‘survival
if the fittest’.
8. Structures that have different mature forms but develop from the same embryonic tissues
are called ‘homologous structures’.
9. Homologous structures that are so reduced in size that they no longer function, like the
human appendix are called vestigial organs.
10. Choosing to breed cows that produce the most milk or the fastest horses is termed
‘artificial selection’.
11. Dolphins, penguins, and sharks are distantly-related species that share similar
characteristics which help them live in water. This is an example of convergent evolution.
12. Structures that have similar mature forms and uses but develop from different embryonic
tissues are called ‘analogous structures’
13. Even though the Galapagos finches share a common ancestor, they have evolved to fit the
ecosystems of their individual islands. This is an example of divergent evolution.
14. A giraffe that stretches its neck longer by reaching for food and then passes this longnecked trait on to offspring is an example of inheritance of acquired traits (Lamarck).
15. Speciation is a lineage-splitting event that produces two or more separate species.
16. Geographic isolation is a cause of speciation where the original group is divided into two
groups by a barrier (man-made or natural) that prevents them from interacting with each
other. (river, ocean, mountains, highway etc).
17. Reproductive isolation is the inability of a species to breed successfully with related
species due to geographical, behavioral, physiological, or genetic barriers or differences.
The Beaks of Finches Lab
Analysis
1. Those individuals with beaks best adapted for feeding on small seeds remained on
the island at the end of Round One while those with “less adapted” beaks migrated
to a new island.
2. Competition for food in Round Two should have had an adverse effect on feeding
success.
3. There were fewer survivors at the end of Round Three due to increased
competition.
4. The following four components of Natural Selection were simulated:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Variation: different beaks, different size seeds
Competition: more than one bird feeding at one bowl
Struggle for survival: each bird trying to get enough food to survive
Adaptation: particular characteristics of “beaks”
Environment: students, seeds, dishes are part of environment
Selecting agent: type of “beak” and / or type of seed available
* Be sure you study the
diagram to the left that
shows the variations in
beaks of Galapagos
Island finches. The
diagram represents the
types of beaks, the
function of the beaks,
and the type of food the
finches eat.