Genetics, Natural Selection and Evalution - Evolution and Natural Selection

Question 1

Who is Charles Darwin?

Answer 1

He is the father of the modern theory of evolution and the author of “On the Origin of Species”

Question 2

_________________was the naturalist on the ship The Beagle which sailed for 5 years in the early 1800s.

Answer 2

Charles Darwin

Question 3

Other scientists at the time, including _________________________ and ______________ influenced Darwin’s ideas.

Answer 3

Alfred Russell Wallace, Charles Lyell

Question 4

In ______ the book “On the Origin of Species” was published.

Answer 4

1859

Question 5

Galapagos Finches
▪ There are 14 species of Darwin’s Finches that live on the Galapagos Islands.
▪ One major difference between the 14 species of birds is their beak size.
▪ Birds with smaller beaks tend to eat small seeds and birds with large beaks eat large seeds.
▪ In 1977 and 1982 there were droughts on the Galapagos Islands, meaning that fewer small seeds were produced.
▪ After those years, it was noted that there were more large Darwin’s Finches on the Islands.
Explain what happened using the theory of Natural Selection.

Answer 5

1. Beak size is determined by genetics(DNA).
2. During the drought years, many
   more birds with big beaks survived because they were the only ones that could eat the large seeds.
3. The surviving big-beaked birds had offspring and passed on their big beaks to those children.
4. Big beaks became more common
   than small beaks in the populations of finches.

Question 6

_________ is the change in inherited traits in a population of living things from one generation to the next.

Answer 6

Evolution

Question 7

What is natural selection?

Answer 7

Natural Selection is the process by which evolution occurs.

Question 8

What is artificial selection?

Answer 8

Artificial selection – the selection by humans of animals, plants, or other organisms to breed together. Artificial selection is also known as selective breeding.

Question 9

Define Breed

Answer 9

Breed – a variety of organism created by artificial selection. Breeds are not considered separate species because organisms of different breeds can mate and produce fertile offspring.

Question 10

What is Fitness?

Answer 10

Fitness describes how well an organism can survive and reproduce in an environment.

Question 11

__________ is a change in a gene. __________ may be beneficial, harmful, or neutral to the organism.
__________ tend to occur at a steady rate in nature.

Answer 11

Mutation, Mutations, Mutations