More Evidence For Evolution

Question 1

why can you tell that the homo species continued to evolve through looking into their environement

Answer 1

• they started using tool stones

- and these gradually became more complex

Question 2

when were homo habilis around and what was their tool use like

Answer 2

• they lived 2.5 to 1.5 million years ago
• they made simple tools called pebble tools by hitting rocks together to make sharp flakes
• this could be used to scrap meat from bones or to crack bones open

Question 3

when were homo erectus around what what was their tool use like

Answer 3

• they lived 2 to 0.3 million years ago
• they sculpted rocks into shapes to produce more complex tools like simple hand axes
• this could be used to hunt, dig, chop and scrape meat from bones

Question 4

when werre homo neanderthalensis around and what was their tool use like

Answer 4

• they lived 300,000 to 25,000 years ago
• they made more complex tools
• there is evidence of flint tools, pointed tools and wooden spears

Question 5

when were homo sapiens around and what was their tool use like

Answer 5

• they have been around for the past 200,000 years
• flint tools were widely used
• pointed tools including arrowheads, fish hooks and needles appeared around 50,000 years ago

Question 6

what are the three ways that scientists can work out how old a fossil is

Answer 6

• physical observation
• stratigraphy
• carbon-14 dating

Question 7

how can the physical observation of fossils and tools be used to tell how old it is

Answer 7

• you look at the structural features of the tool or fossil

- for example, simpler tools are likely to be older than more complex tools

Question 8

what is stratigrahpy how can stratigraphy be used to tell how old a fossil or tool is

Answer 8

• stratigraphy is the study of rock layers
• older rock layers are usually found below young layers
• so tools or fossils in deeper layers are usually older

Question 9

how can carbon-14 dating be used to tell how old a fossil or tool is

Answer 9

• stone tools are often found with carbon-containing material
• such as a wooden handle
• carbon-14 dating can be used to date this material according to carbon content

Question 10

what is one reason why dating fossils and tools cant always be accurate

Answer 10

• because rock layers could move overtime

- which makes stratigraphy less accurate

Question 11

what is a pentadacyl limb

Answer 11

a limb with five digits

Question 12

what is the main similarity and difference between the pentadactyl limb across mammals, reptiles or amphibians

Answer 12

• the pentadactyl limb has a similar bone structure
• but usually has a different function
• for example, a human hand and a bats wing are both pentadactyl limbs
• but we cant use ours to fly when they can

Question 13

what does the similarity between the bone structures of the pentadactyl limb suggest across different types of animals suggest about evolution

Answer 13

• it suggests that we have all evolved from a common ancestor that had a pentadactyl limb
• it they all evolved from different ancestors, it would be highly unlikely that they would share a similar bone structure