AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MAYUR VIHAR ​

​ ​Class X Chapter 9 – Heredity and Evolution (Handout 2)

Question1: Define the following:-
1. Evolution-It refers to a gradual change from one form to another in living organisms
which help the organism to adapt to the changing environmental conditions .It is also
called organic evolution. Evolution over a period of time results in speciation.
2. Natural Selection-It is the phenomenon in which the nature selects the traits that are
favourable to the species in a given environment. It was Charles Darwin, who came up
with the idea of evolution of species by natural selection in the nineteenth century.

Eg. Consider a group of twelve red beetles living in some bushes with green leaves. Their
population will grow by sexual reproduction, and therefore, can generate variations. Let
us imagine also that crows eat these beetles. The more beetles the crows eat, the fewer
beetles are available to reproduce. A colour variation arises during reproduction,
so that there is one beetle that is green in colour instead of red. This beetle, moreover, can
pass the colour on to its progeny, so that all its progeny beetles are green. Crows cannot
see green-coloured beetles on the green leaves of the bushes, and therefore cannot eat
them. The progeny of green beetles is not eaten, while the progeny of red beetles
continues to be eaten. As a result, there are more and more green beetles than red ones in
the beetle population. In this case, the variation became common because it gave a
survival advantage. In other words, it was naturally selected. We can see that the
natural selection is exerted by the crows. The more crows there are, the more red beetles
would be eaten, and the more the proportion of green beetles in the population would be.
Thus, natural selection is directing evolution in the beetle population. It results in
adaptations in the beetle population to fit their environment better.

3. Genetic Drift- It is the random change in the frequency of certain traits or genes in a
population over successive generations due to an accident or by chance.

Eg. Consider a group of twelve red beetles living in some bushes with green leaves.
Their population will grow by sexual reproduction, and therefore, can generate variations.
Let us imagine also that crows eat these beetles. The more beetles the crows eat, the
fewer
beetles are available to reproduce. A colour variation arises during reproduction, but now
it results in a beetle that is blue in colour instead of red. This beetle can also pass the
colour on to its progeny, so that all its progeny beetles are blue. Crows can see blue-
coloured beetles in the green leaves of the bushes as well as they can see red ones, and
therefore can eat them. In the population, as it expands, there are a few blue beetles, but
most are red. But at this point, an elephant comes by, and stamps on the bushes where
the beetles live. This kills most of the beetles. By chance, the few beetles that have
survived are mostly blue. The beetle population slowly expands again, but now, the
beetles in the population are mostly blue. In this situation, the colour change gave no
survival advantage.Instead, it was simply a matter of accidental survival of beetles of
one colour that changed the common characteristic of the resultant population. The
elephant would not have caused such major havoc in the beetle population if the beetle
population had been very large. So, accidents in small populations can change the
frequency of some genes in a population, even if they give no survival advantage.
This is the notion of genetic drift, which provides diversity without any adaptations.

4. Speciation-It is the evolution of new species from pre-existing species.

5. Gene Flow-It is the exchange of genetic material by interbreeding between individuals of

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 the same species in a population resulting in variations in the genetic composition of that
population.
6. Reproductive Isolation-Refers to mechanisms which check the population of two
different groups from interbreeding.
7. Palaeontology Palaeontology is a branch of biology that deals with the study of fossils.
It provides a direct evidence of evolution and is called a written document of evolution.
Question2: Differentiate between acquired and inherited traits.
Acquired traits Inherited traits
1. They are the traits that arise 1. These traits are those which arise
during the lifetime of an due to the changes in the DNA
organism and they do not bring of the germ cell.
about any change in the DNA of
the germ cell.
2. They cannot be passed on from 2. They are passed on from one
one generation to the next. generation to the next.
3. It does not result in evolution.
4. Eg:- tanning of skin due to 3. It directs evolution.
exposure to sunlight, loss of 4. Eg:- colour blindness, colour of
limb due to accident skin, eyes etc

Question3 : Why are traits acquired during the life-time of an individual not inherited?
Answer: This happens because an acquired trait involves change in non-reproductive tissues.
Change in non-reproductive tissues cannot be passed on to the DNA of the germ cells. Therefore
the experiences of an individual during its lifetime cannot be passed on to its progeny, and
cannot direct evolution. Consider an example of how an individual cannot pass on to its progeny
the experiences of its lifetime. If we breed a group of mice, all their progeny will have tails, as
expected. Now, if the tails of these mice are removed by surgery in each generation, do these
tailless mice have tailless progeny? The answer is no, and it makes sense because removal of the
tail cannot change the genes of the germ cells of the mice.
Question4: What are the factors that lead to the rise of the new species?
The formation of new species from pre-existing species is mainly due to one or more of the
following factors:-
1. Genetic drift:- It is the random change in the frequency of certain traits or genes in a
population over successive generations due to an accident or variations in gametes.
Natural calamities can produce changes in the gene pool of the population and new
variations are produced, which can produce new species.
2. Natural selection:- Only those individuals of a species which have useful variation and
can adapt to the changes in the environment survive and the others die. These organisms
can produces variations and new species.
3. Geographical isolation:- Population may get separated by geographical barriers like
mountains, rivers, lakes etc. These isolated groups produce variations due to
reproductive isolation which can produce new species.
4. Mutations/Accumulation of variations:- the differences between individuals of the
same species is called variations. The accumulation of variation over several generations
produces new species.
Question5: What is the relationship between evolution and classification?
• Classification is the grouping of organisms on the basis of their similarities and
dissimilarities.
• Based on these principles we can work out the evolutionary relationships between the
species.
• The more number of characteristics two organisms have in common the more closely they
are related.
• The more closely they are related the more recent would be their common ancestors.
Question6: What are the evidences studied for tracing evolutionary relationships?
1. Homologous organs are organs that have a basic similar structure but perform different

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 functions in various organisms .Example-Forelimbs of frog, lizard, birds and humans.
Forelimbs of frog help the animal to prop up the front end of the body at rest ; the
forelimbs of the lizard helps in creeping movements; the forelimbs of birds help in flight
and that of humans for holding and grasping.
SIGNIFICANCE OF HOMOLOGOUS ORGANS-Similarity in their structure indicates a
common ancestry among these vertebrates. They help in establishing
evolutionary relationship between unrelated species.
2. Analogous organs are those organs that have similar functions but differ in their
structure in various organisms. Example-Wings of bats, birds and insects. The wings of
birds are feathery coverings all over the arm while that of bats are skin folds stretched
between elongated fingers. Wing of an insect is a fold of membrane.
Significance of analogous organs- These characteristics show that birds bats and
insects do not have a common ancestry as the forelimbs differ in their structures.
3. Fossils are preserved traces of organisms that lived in millions of years ago. Fossils
provide evidence that present day plants and animals have originated from previously
existing ones through the process of continuous evolution.
i. Eg- Fossil of dinosaur skull ( Rajasaurus)
ii. Fossil of fish (Knightia)
iii. Fossil of invertebrates(Trilobite)
Age of the fossils can be found out by the following methods-
• Relative estimation-If we dig into Earth and start finding fossils it is reasonable to
suppose that the fossils we find closer to the surface are more recent to the fossils we
find in deep layers.
• Fossil dating-The second way of dating fossils is by detecting the ration of different
isotopes of the same element in the fossil material. Carbon Dating is the most preferred
method. The decayed half-life indicates how old the fossil is.
4. Comparison of DNA- changes in the DNA during reproduction is the basic event in
evolution. Thus by comparing the DNA of different species we can get a direct estimate of how
much the DNA has changed during the formation of the species. The approach is based on the
idea that organisms that the more distinctly related will accumulate greater number of differences
in their DNA, this is called molecular Phylogeny.
5. Comparison of early embryonic stages- the early embryos of vertebrates such as fish ,
salamander , tortoise , chicken , rabbit and man show similarity in their shape and structure
which indicates a common ancestry.
Question7 : What are fossils? What do they tell us about the process of evolution?
Answer: Fossils are the preserved remains of organisms that once existed on earth. They
represent the ancestors of plants and animals that are alive today.
• They provide evidences of evolution by revealing the characteristics of the past organism
and the changes that have occurred in these organisms to give rise to the present
organisms.
• Fossils provide missing link between the species and provide evidences regarding their
evolution.

Question8: Differentiate between artificial and natural selection.

Artificial selection :-
1. It is the process by which man
selects the traits useful to him to
improve the quality of
domesticated plants and animals.
It is an artificial process.
2. The results are achieved in a
shorter period of time.
3. Example:- Kohlrabi , kale ,
broccoli , cauliflower , cabbage ,
red cabbage have been
cultivated from wild cabbage
through artificial selection.
Natural selection:-
1. It is the process by which nature
selects traits favourable to the
species in a given environment
for its adaptaion and survival.
2. The results are achieved over a
long period of time
3. Example:- in a population of red
and green beetles living in green
bushes the red beetles are eaten
by the crows as they are easily
noticed by them . The green
beetles get camouflaged and

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 survive. Therefore the trait green
color is naturally selected over a
period of time as it gives a
survival advantage and the red
beetles disappear.

Question9: Explain artificial selection with reference to wild cabbage.

Answer: It is the process by which man selects the traits useful to him to improve the quality of
domesticated plants and animals. It is an artificial process.
Eg. Humans have, over more than two thousand years, cultivated wild cabbage as a food plant,
and generated different vegetables from it by selection. This is,of course, artificial selection
rather than natural selection. So some farmers have wanted to select for very short distances
between leaves, and have bred the cabbage we eat. Some have wanted to select for arrested
flower development, and have bred broccoli, or for sterile flowers, and have made the
cauliflower. Some have selected for swollen parts, and come up with kohlrabi. Some have
simply looked for slightly larger leaves, and come up with a leafy vegetable called kale.
Question10: Why are humans who look so different from each other said to belong to the
same species?
Answer:
• They can interbreed
• The genetic composition of all humans are similar
• The number of chromosomes in all somatic cells (non-reproductive cells) is 23
pairs.
Question11: Evolution does not proceed as a ladder of progress but it occurs as branches of
trees explain with examples?
Answer: Although humans are closely related to chimpanzees and apes, they have not evolved
from them. Both the species had a common ancestor. This common ancestor diverged into
several forms and each form probably evolved in its own separate ways to give rise to the present
day human, chimpanzees and apes . Therefore evolution does not proceed as a ladder of progress
but occurs as branches of trees.
Question12: Describe how different races have developed in humans?
Answer:
• The earliest member of Homo Sapiens have traced back to Africa.
• Some of our ancestors stayed back in Africa.
• Others left and slowly spread across the planet to West Asia, CentralAsia, Eurasia,
Phillipines, Australia etc.
• They moved in groups leading to separation and mixing of the groups.
These groups of ancestors like other species adapted to the prevailing environment and
developed genetic variations to become different coloured with specific features in different
geographical regions leading to the formation of races.
Question13 : Why are the small numbers of surviving tigers a cause of worry from the
point of view of genetics?
Answer: Small numbers of tigers means that fewer variations in terms of genes are available.
This means that when these tigers reproduce, there are less chances of producing progeny with
some useful variations. Hence, it is a cause of worry from the point of view of genetics.
Question14 : Will geographical isolation be a major factor in the speciation of a self-
pollinating plant species? Why or why not?
Answer: Geographical isolation can prevent the transfer of pollens among different plants.
However, since the plants are self-pollinating, which means that the pollens are transferred from
the anther of one flower to the stigma of the same flower or of another flower of the same plant,
geographical isolation cannot prevent speciation in this case.
Question 15: Will geographical isolation be a major factor in the speciation of an organism
that reproduces asexually? Why or why not?
Answer: Geographical isolation prevents gene flow between populations of a species whereas
asexual reproduction generally involves only one individual. In an asexually reproducing
organism, variations can occur only when the copying of DNA is not accurate. Therefore,
geographical isolation cannot prevent the formation of new species in an asexually reproducing
organism.
Question16 : Give an example of characteristics being used to determine how close two

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 species are in evolutionary terms.
Answer: The presence of feathers in dinosaurs ( fossil of Archaeopteryx) and birds indicates that
they are evolutionarily related. Dinosaurs had feathers not for flying but instead these feathers
provided insulation to these warm-blooded animals. However, the feathers in birds are used for
flight. This proves that reptiles and birds are closely related and that the evolution of wings
started in reptiles.

Question 17: In evolutionary terms, can we say which among bacteria, spiders, fish and
chimpanzees have a ‘better’ body design? Why or why not?
Answer: Evolution cannot always be equated with progress or better body designs. Evolution
simply creates more complex body designs. However, this does not mean that the simple body
designs are inefficient. In fact, bacteria having a simple body design are still the most
cosmopolitan organisms found on earth. They can survive hot springs, deep sea, and even
freezing environment. Therefore, bacteria, spiders, fish, and chimpanzees are all different
branches of evolution
Question18 : An example of homologous organs is (a) our arm and a dog’s fore-leg. (b) our
teeth and an elephant’s tusks. (c) potato and runners of grass. (d) all of the above.
Answer: (b)An example of homologous organs is our teeth and an elephant’s tusks.
Question19 : In evolutionary terms, we have more in common with (a) a Chinese school-
boy (b) a chimpanzee. (c) a spider. (d) a bacterium.
Answer: (a) In evolutionary terms, we have more in common with a Chinese school boy.
Question20 : What evidence do we have for the origin of life from inanimate matter?
Answer: A British scientist, J.B.S. Haldane, suggested that life originated from simple inorganic
molecules. He believed that when the earth was formed, it was a hot gaseous mass containing
elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, etc. These elements combined to form
molecules like water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), etc. After
the formation of water, slowly the earth surface cooled and the inorganic molecules interacted
with one another in water to form simple organic molecules such as sugars, fatty acids, amino
acids, etc. The energy for these reactions was provided by solar radiations, lightning, volcanic
eruptions, etc. This was proved by the experiment of Stanley L. Miller and Harold C. Urey in
1953. They took a mixture of water (H2O), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), and hydrogen gas
(H2) in a chamber and sparks were passed through this mixture using two electrodes. After one
week, 15% of the carbon from methane was converted into amino acids, sugars, etc. These
organic molecules are polymerized and assembled to form protein molecules that gave rise to life
on earth.
Question 21: Explain how sexual reproduction gives rise to more viable variations than
asexual reproduction. How does this affect the evolution of those organisms that reproduce
sexually?
• In sexual reproduction, two individuals having different variations combine their DNA to
give rise to a new individual.
• Therefore, sexual reproduction allows more variations whereas in asexual reproduction,
chance variations can only occur when the copying of DNA is not accurate.
• Additionally, asexual reproduction allows very less variations because if there are more
variations, then the resultant DNA will not be able to survive inside the inherited cellular
apparatus. However, in sexual reproduction, more variations are allowed and the resultant
DNA is also able to survive, thus making the variations viable.
• Variants help the species to survive in all the conditions. Environmental conditions such as
heat, light, pests, and food availability can change suddenly at only one place. At that
time, only those variants resistant to these conditions would be able to survive. This will
slowly lead to the evolution of a better adapted species. Thus, variation helps in the
evolution of sexually reproducing organisms.
Question22 : Only variations that confer an advantage to an individual organism will
survive in a population. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
Answer:
• In species, variations that offer survival advantages are naturally selected. Individuals
adjust to their environments with the help of these selected variations and consequently
these variations are passed on to their progeny. Evolution of organisms occurs as a result
of this natural selection.
• However, there can be some other variations, which do not offer any survival advantage

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 and arise only accidentally. Such variations in small populations can change the
frequency of some genes even if they are not important for survival. This accidental
change in the frequency of genes in small populations is referred to as genetic drift. Thus,
genetic drift provides diversity (variations) without any survival advantage.
Question23 :Give one difference between eyes and eye spot. Which animal possesses eye
spots?

Ans-eyes are well developed organs( more advanced) helping to form an image as in humans,
but eye spots( have a primitive structure) just enable the animal to detect light.e.g. Planaria and
Euglena possess eye spots
Question24 :What are various ways by which genes can enter a population?

Ans. The various way are

a) GENE MIGRATION is gene flow which occurs when some members of main population
migrate to other areas and may not come back .this is geographical isolation.
b) GENETIC DRIFT -is change in gene frequency due to chance or accident and not by natural
selection.
c) NATURAL SELECTION-is a process in which better quality genes selected by nature are
allowed to multiply.
d) MUTATIONS arise suddenly- they are sudden changes in the gene inherited by offsprings for
at least 4-6 generations.

Question25 : Only advantageous variations help in the evolution of an organism giving rise
to a new species. explain with the help of an example.

Ans.This is because the advantageous variations are selected by nature and allowed to multiply
or propogate fast to increase their numbers.because such variations help an individual to survive
in a better manner in changing environment the population increases. this can be explained as
under
A- EVOLUTION OF EYE which has occurred bit by bit and not in one step.even the
rudimentary eye was advantageous to Planaria or Octopus even though a clear image was not
formed as in humans still it gave a fitness advantage.
B-EVOLUTION OF WING-earlier feathers were formed to provide warmth to the body,later
these feathers helped in flying.
However, there can be some other variations, which do not offer any survival advantage and
arise only accidentally. Such variations in small populations can change the frequency of some
genes even if they are not important for survival. This accidental change in the frequency of
genes in small populations is referred to as genetic drift. Thus, genetic drift provides diversity
(variations) without any survival advantage

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