Download Evolution Take Home Assessment

Evolution Take Home Assessment
Read the articles “Modern Darwins” by Matt Ridley and “Darwin’s First Clues” by David Quammen.
Using this articles and what you have learned throughout the semester, answer the following questions
in paragraph form. Be sure you are as complete as possible with your answers. All of your answers
need to be typed. This will count as the final test for this unit.
Using “Modern Darwins”
1. Briefly explain what Darwin’s dangerous idea was and why it was “dangerous.”
2. Using the example of the finches on the Galapagos Islands, from the reading, explain each of
the five major tenets of natural selection.
3. Using examples from the article, explain what impact the environment has on natural selection.
4. We talked about several major types of evidence for evolution. One of these was biochemistry
which involves looking at DNA and genes. Explain what each of the two genes listed below do
and then for each describe how this could be considered evidence for evolution and what do
you think it means?
a. BMP4 gene (cichlids and finches)
b. FOXP2 gene (humans, song birds and mice)
5. What is sexual selection? Why did the site of a peacock’s tail make Darwin sick? According
to the article, why do females choose ornamented males?
6. Use the example of blue eyes from the article to explain the process of how sexual selection
can influence a trait. Start with what causes blue eyes.
7. Another of the major types of evidence we talked about was the fossil record. What can be
learned from the fossil of Tiktaalik? Explain how scientists have combined the fossil record
with biochemistry to gain even more information about evolution based on the fossil of
Tiktaalik.
8. What was Darwin’s biggest mistake? What do we now know to be correct? How does this
help explain how evolution affects populations more than individuals?
Using “Darwin’s First Clues”
9. Where did Darwin find his first clues and what were they? Explain what he found at the sites
of Punta Alta and at Monte Hermoso and what he learned from those finds.
10. Darwin’s first mammal fossils came from the Pleistocene. Using your timeline and your notes,
what were the key events of the Pleistocene?
11. Another of our early evidences for evolution was biogeography. Explain how the sloths,
armadillos, “camels” and rheas all serve as evidence for biogeography being an important
evidence for evolution.
Using both articles and everything you have learned in class
12. Summarize, using evidence he had, how Darwin came up with his theory of natural selection.
Be sure to include all 5 of the major tenets.
13. Write a summary of evolution including the key pieces of evidence and the mechanisms of how
it works. Remember, not all the evidence and mechanisms have been included in these
readings but you should include them here.