Download Darwin and Natural Selection – Reading Guide

Darwin and Natural Selection – Reading Guide
1. Explain what Darwin meant by evolution and how natural selection plays a role in the theory.
2. How did Hutton and Lyell influence Darwin’s ideas of evolution?
3. Describe Lamarck’s evolution hypothesis. (yes, all 3 parts)
4. Why is it incorrect to say that humans came from monkeys or gorillas?
5. Discuss the current evidence in favor of evolution.
6. Do page 387 with your family and/or friends and then answer questions 1-3.
7. Explain whether natural selection works on an organisms genotype or phenotype and why.
8. Pigeons and hummingbirds are both species of birds. What makes them a different species
from another? (Think about the definition of a species)
9. How do mole rats (they are blind!) provide support for Darwin’s theory of evolution?
10. Explain how bacterial resistance to antibiotics lends support for Darwin’s theory of
evolution.
11. Read pg 403 and then answer question 2.
12. Describe the main evidence Darwin used in formulating his concept of natural selection
while sailing on the HMS Beagle. Then, in your own words, select a species of animal
and using the main ideas of the concept of natural selection, explain the evolution of that
species.
13.
What is speciation and why is natural selection important for speciation?
14. Describe the 3 different types of natural selection. Include a graph of each in your
explanation.
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Explain how you could effectively control the microevolution of any species? (think
selective breeding)
Describe how radioactive dating occurs.
Distinguish between adaptive radiation, convergent evolution and coevolution. Include
an example of each.
How does gradualism differ from punctuated equilibrium?
There is a theory that Native Americans are the descendants of people who migrated to
North America across the Bering Straight from Siberia (Russia). Considering the fact that the
Bering Straight is now covered by water, (think geographic isolation) explain how the
existence of Native Americans supports Darwin’s theory of Evolution.