Topic 4 - Evolution

Question 1

what is evolution?

Answer 1

a gradual change in characteristics of a species over time

Question 2

how do we know how old a fossil is?

Answer 2

how deep it’s buried
carbon dating up to 1950s

Question 3

why have we not found some fossils yet?

Answer 3

damaged by geological activity
few organisms form fossils due to being made up of soft material which decays easily

Question 4

what is the trend in skulls over time

Answer 4

as we evolve our cranium size increases and jaw becomes sharper

Question 5

What does GENIE stand for?

Answer 5

genetic variation
environment pressure
natural selection
inheritance
evolution

Question 6

explain darwins theory of evolution by natural selection

Answer 6

Organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success

Question 7

Explain how the emergence of resistant organisms supports Darwin’s theory of evolution including antibiotic resistance in bacteria

Answer 7

in a population of bacteria some are more resistant to antibiotics than others, meaning that they take longer to be killed

Question 8

What are the key stages of natural selection?

Answer 8

Genetic variation within a species arises
Competition for food/space
Better adapted members of species will survive
These survivors pass on traits to offspring
Beneficial characteristic increase within population over time