Evolution by Natural Selection Flashcards
What is one piece of evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs?
One possible answer is that birds share certain anatomical features with some dinosaurs, like a wishbone! Some fossils even show bits of feathers preserved on their bodies.
What is a trait? Give an example.
Traits are characteristics that organisms have. For humans, some examples include hair colour or texture, eye colour, and even the length of our feet.
Where do living things get their traits?
Living things receive traits from their parents, but traits can also come from other places. For example, a person can be born with brown hair but they can dye it purple if they choose.
Do some traits give organisms an advantage in surviving and finding mates?
Yes! Some traits, such as colour, may give organisms an advantage in surviving. For example, if they have good camouflage in their environment they are much less likely to be consumed by a predator.
What is natural selection? Give an example.
Natural selection is when an organism survives because of its traits or something it can do better than other organisms of the same species. For example, faster mice or voles are less likely to get caught by great horned owls.
How do humans affect the traits of other living things?
Humans can affect traits of other things by mixing them together. One example is mixing different dog breeds together, such as a lab crossed with a poodle, which makes a doodle!
What environmental factors might cause variations within a population?
Environmental factors such as sun exposure, drought, pollution, floods and temperature.
What is a mutation?
Mutations are changes that occur in the genetic material of an organism. These changes can happen at any time during an organism’s life span. Mutations can be inherited (passed down through a parent) or occur randomly during cell division. Sometimes the environment can also cause mutations!
Provide an example of how artificial selection can be a positive.
We can create more desirable vegetables. For example, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage were all created from the wild mustard plant through artificial selection.
Who was Charles Darwin?
Charles Darwin was a famous scientist known for his work on the idea of evolution resulting from natural selection.
Can two different species breed and have offspring?
Yes, an example is the Zonkey! (A zebra and a donkey).
What does the term speciation mean?
Speciation is the development of a new species.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity (short for “biological diversity”) refers to the number and variety of all living things. Biodiversity is the variety of life in an area, which can range from life in a tiny pool of water that collects on the leaves of a plant, to an ecosystem spanning entire mountain ranges in the alpine.
True or False; the economy relies on biodiversity.
True! The economy relies on biodiversity since it provides renewable resources and ecosystem services, medical and scientific benefits, and biodiversity is priceless in terms of cultural and aesthetic values.
What does it mean if a species is red-listed?
The species are either extirpated (locally extinct), endangered, or threatened and are considered to be the most at risk.
