EVOLUTION

Unit 8

EVOLUTION=

1. NS.10.B.1: Science is limited to

natural explanations of how the world
works

The Goal of Science is to

investigate and understand

the natural world

explain events in the natural

world

make useful predictions

about the natural world

Science cannot

explain ghosts, myths, or urban

legends

but can disprove them using

scientific methods.

prove or have opinions on what

is crazy, normal, good, bad,
cute, or ugly.
determine worth, beauty, or

NS.10.B.2: The difference between

hypotheses, theories, and laws.

Hypothesis:

Possible explanation for a

set of observations.

Must be testable

May be proven or disproven

Theory:

A well-tested explanation that

explains a wide range of
observations

(Hypothesis + many experiments/data =

THEORY)

May change if new evidence is

found

Law:
Observations seen in the
natural world that never
change.
Examples:

The earth circles the sun.

Energy is neither created nor
destroyed.

Law:

Statement of fact meant to

describe, in concise terms, an
action or set of actions.

Generally accepted as true and

universal.

Hypothesis, Theory, Law

Hypotheses and Theories can

change

Laws never change

NS.10.B.3: The difference between a

scientific theory and the term theory
used in general conversation

Scientific Theory vs. theory in

conversation:

General
Scientific
Explains WHY
Testable
Evidence
supported
Scientific topic
Experiments

Not always
testable
Usually a
hypothesis
Not supported
by much
evidence

HE.6.B.1Compare and
contrast Lamarcks
explanation of evolution with
Darwins theory of evolution
by natural selection

Jean Baptiste-Lamarck

Tendency towards Perfection

Organisms change and acquire

features that make them better.

Example: Bird Ancestors

Desired To Fly So They Tried
Until Wings Developedflying is
better than not flying

Jean Baptiste-Lamarck

Idea of Use and

Disuse

If a body part
used, it got
stronger

If body part NOT

used, it
deteriorated

Jean Baptiste-Lamarck

Inheritance of
Acquired
Characteristics

Organisms acquire
or lose traits
during Lifetime
These traits
passed to
Offspring

Charles Darwin

Individual Variation

Organisms in a
population vary
Everyone is different

Charles Darwin

Overproduction

Organisms in a
population have more
offspring than will
survive.
Not everyone lives

Charles Darwin

Struggle for Existence

Organisms struggle to
survive.
Compete with each other
and other organisms
Depend on non-living
factors

Charles Darwin

Survival of the fittest

Organisms that best fit

the environment are
more likely to survive

Not necessarily the

strongest or best

Natural Selection:

Organisms that are the fittest

are more likely to survive and
reproduce to pass those
beneficial genes on.

Based on random mutation and

the environment.
Environment selects for traits
that are better suited or help
with survival.

HE.6.B.2Recognize that
evolution involves a change
in allele frequencies in a
population across successive
generations

Natural Selection:

Initial population:
Even amount of gray and
white mice.
Allele frequency

A=gray

(8 alleles/50%)
a=white (8 alleles/50%)

Natural Selection:

Population after 20 years:

After 20 years, the
population now has more
gray mice.
Allele frequency:

A=10

(56%)
a=8 (44%)

Natural Selection:

Population after 50years:

After 50years, the
population is now almost
all gray mice.
Allele frequency:

A=12

(75%)
a=4 (25%)

Natural Selection:

Directional Selection:

The trait on one end

becomes more common,
so the graph shifts to one
side.

Directional Selection:
Example

Birds have beak sizes

ranging from long and
skinny to short and thick.
The seeds in the area
become tougher to crack;
eventually most birds will
have short and thick
beaks.

Stabilizing Selection:

The medium trait

becomes more common,
so the graph becomes
taller in the middle.

Stabilizing Selection:

Butterfly color ranges

from red to yellow (with
orange as the medium).
The orange butterflies
look like a poisonous
variety and are eaten less.
Eventually, there are
more orange butterflies.

Disruptive Selection:

The traits on both sides

become more common, so
the graph splits in the
middle.

Disruptive Selection:

Male salmon phenotypes

range from looking like
females to very macho males.
The female look alikes and the
macho males are both able to
fertilize eggs. The normal
male is usually chased away.
Eventually, there are few of
the normal males.

HE.6.B.4Illustrate mass
extinction events using a
time line.

Timeline Change

Mass extinction: event

where many types of living
things become extinct at
the same time.

List the events and types of organisms in

which they appear on earth.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Algae
Fish
Amphibians
Large trees
Reptiles
Dinosaurs

7.

8.

9.

10.

Flowering
plants
Placental
mammals
Running
mammals
Modern man

Questions:
11.
12.

13.

14.

Appearance of algae
Fossils are extremely rare
and glaciers covered a lot of
the land.
Humans and dinosaurs did
not live in the same time
period.
glaciation

List name and timer period of each major

extinction event.

OrdovicianSilurian

1.

450 mya

Late Devonian

2.

375 mya

TriassicJurassic

4.

Cretaceous
-Paleogene

5.

Permo-Triassic

3.

249 mya

200 mya

60 mya

HE.6.B.5Evaluate evolution
in terms of evidence as found
in:

Fossil record, DNA analysis, artificial

selection, morphology, embryology, viral
evolution, geographic distribution, and
antibiotic/pesticide resistance.

Geographic Distribution

Since similar species have

been found on continents that
do not connect, they must
share a common ancestor.
The continents moved the
population apart allowing
them to evolve differently.

Geographic DistributionExample

Marsupial mammals can be

found in Australia and the
Americas and share a
common ancestor. As the
continents drifted apart, they
adapted to separate
environments

Morphology

Organisms with anatomical

similarities must have come
from a common ancestor.

Morphology-Example

Hummingbirds and whales

both have 4 legged skeletons,
with nearly every bone in one
correlating to a bone in the
other. This could only occur if
they had descended from a
common ancestor.

Fossil Record

Fossils provide snapshots of

what life looked like
throughout time. By studying
fossils, you can see how life
has changed through time.

Fossil Record-Example

Dinosaur fossils are found

throughout the world, but no
dinosaurs exist today. At the
same time, human fossils do
not occur before a certain
date. This shows that life has
certainly changed over time.

DNA Analysis

All living things have the

same DNA code with the
same four bases that
provides the instructions for
everything about them. This
means we all must have a
common ancestor.

DNA Analysis-Example

Roundworms and humans

share 25% of their genes.
Somewhere back in time, we
must have had a common
ancestor.

Artificial Selection

When people select specific

traits to breed in organisms
the organisms end up looking
very different from the
original species. This shows
change over time.

Artificial Selection-Example

After artificial selection of

wolves, we have ended up
with hundreds of breeds of
dogs, all looking nothing like
the original wolf breed they
came from. This shows
change over time.

Transitional Forms

Fossils uncovered that show

an intermediate form
between an organism of the
past and a present day
organism. This shows change
over time.

Transitional Forms-Example

Pakicetus, an early ancestor

to whales, had nostrils at the
front of its skull, while present
day whales have them on top
of their skull. The transitional
whale, aetiocetus, has nostrils
between the two.

Embryology

During some stages of

development, organisms
exhibit ancestral features in
whole or incomplete form.
This shows that these
organisms most likely have a
common ancestor.

Embryology-Example

Some snakes have hind limb

buds as embryos, but lose
them as they develop. This
shows that these snakes
must have an ancestor with
hind limbs.

Antibiotic/Pesticide
Resistance

Bacteria and pests have

become resistant to many
antibiotics/pesticides. This
shows that species can
change over time.

Antibiotic/Pesticide Resistance-Example

MRSA, methicillin resistant

staphylococcus aureus, is a
bacteria that used to respond
to antibiotics, but does not
anymore. It has changed
over time to resist the
antibiotic.

Viral Evolution

Host bodies are always building

up immunities to viruses after
theyve been infected; however,
Viruses reproduce and mutate
very quickly. This allows them to
change over time into new
strains that are not protected
against.

Viral Evolution-Example

The flu virus mutates quickly

and exists in many strains.
Each season, new strains are
discovered. This shows
change over time.

HE.6.B.6Compare the
processes of relative dating
and radioactive dating to
determine the age of fossils.

Rock Layers

Figure 1:

Figure 2:

1. How do geologists use index fossils?

Index fossil:
Easily recognized
existed for short time period
with a large geographic
range.
Only found in a few layers of
rock.
Used to compare the

2. Why do you need to know the exact

location of an organisms remains for
relative dating, but not radioactive
dating?

Because relative dating relies on

comparing the remains to
surrounding rock layers and
index fossils. Radioactive dating
is measuring how much of a
particular element is there, so it
doesnt really matter where it

Complete the questions on Radioactive

dating.

Half-life = 5, 730
Half-life = 12
yrs
yrs
1.
2.
3.

11, 460 years

1.25g
.625g

1.
2.
3.

50%
24 years
4 half-lives

Page 23 questions:

Radioactive
5. Relative
6. Relative
4.

Relative Dating:

Relative Age of fossil

determined by comparing
its placement with fossils
in other layers
Uses index fossils.
Uses rock layers

Relative Dating:

Pros:
No equipment/
technology
needed
easy to do in
the field

Cons:
Does not
get exact
age

Radioactive Dating:

Use of half-lives to
determine age of sample.
Calculates age by
measuring amount of
radioactive isotope
remaining.

Radioactive Dating:

Pros:
Can
determine
exact age
More
precise

Cons:
Expensive
equipment
needed
Must be
done in a lab

Below the chart on page 23:

Half-life: length of time required
for half of the radioactive atoms
in a sample to decay.
Isotope: atom of element has
different number of neutrons
than other atoms of the element.

Example: Carbon-12 (normal: has

6 neutrons) Carbon-14 (isotope:
has 8 neutrons)

Radioactive isotope:
unstable; wants to become
stable.