B5.2.2 Evidence for Evolution

Question 1

Fossils

Answer 1

formed when animal and plant remains or traces are preserved in rocks

Question 2

Fossil record

Answer 2

• fossils of simplest organisms such as bacteria are found in oldest rocks, complex organisms fossils found in recent rock=simple life forms gradually evolved into more complex ones
• plant fossils appear before animal fossils = animals require plants to survive
• closely related organisms have common ansectors = evolution

Question 3

Rapid changes in species

Answer 3

As bacteria for example replicates rapidly, scientists can study evolution and observe spread of advantageous characteristic over a population

Question 4

Extinction

Answer 4

Species that don’t adapt to environmental changes die out

Question 5

Molecular comparison

Answer 5

Closely related species have most similar DNA and proteins