Life Science Review

Evolution is a LONG process of SMALL changes to

organisms creating new species along the way.
Natural selection is the process that causes
evolution.
Because of changes in the environment, organisms
with the best traits survive.

The fossil record

Incomplete because not every
fossil has been found
Helps us to see small changes in
species over long time periods.
Considered evidence of evolution

Rock that appears

layered tells us that
that materials were
spread here a long
time ago.
The lowest layers are
oldest and were
placed first. Fossils in
sedimentary rock
down deep are older
and most simple.
The upper layers are
younger. Fossils here
are younger, but the
organisms are more
complex.
https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/86/106986-004-344E040B.jpg

Relative age allows scientists

to know whether something is
older or younger than
something else.
Absolute age means that
scientists know the exact
number in years that have
passed since the object was
created.
Relative age will require the
comparison of two or more
objects, whereas absolute age
does not.
http://slideplayer.com/slide/4314894/

Fossil Formation
MINERALIZATION - MINERALS REPLACE BODY TISSUES
AND HARDEN.
CARBONIZATION - DEAD ORGANISMS
COMPRESS LEAVING FOSSIL FILM IMPRESSIONS.
MOLDS AND CASTS - SHELL OR BONE LEAVES
IMPRESSION AND THEN THE IMPRESSION FILLS WITH
SEDIMENT AND HARDEN TO A COPY OF THE
ORIGINAL
TRACE FOSSILS - PRESERVED EVIDENCE OF THE
ACTIVITY OF THE ORGANISM, LIKE FOOT PRINTS.
ORIGINAL MATERIALS - ORGANISMS TISSUES ARE
PRESERVED IN RESIN, ICE, OR BOGS.

Darwins theory includes 5 ideas

1. Organisms have variations, and those variations are
passed on to the organisms babies.
2. Some variations are favorable (better than others).
3. More offspring are born than can survive.
4. Those that survive have favorable traits and
reproduce.
5. Because of this, a population will
change over time evolve.

Animal Adaptations
KEYS TO SURVIVAL!
Traits inherited from ancestors
Improve or increase chances of survival
Improve or increase chances of
reproduction, passing on that trait

Katydid
Mimicry

False Eyes

This insect has two false eyes that act

to scare away predators.
As a predator is approaching, the
katydid opens its wings to reveal the
eyes. The predator may believe that
that is the eyes of one of its own
predators and will avoid them.
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Deilephila Moth
This moth hides among
similarly colored plants by
day and does not fly until well
after dark. The moth will
travel to species of plants that
have the red and orange
color of its body.

Camouflage and mimicry

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Flatfish
Flatfish can flatten their bodies and lay on the bottom of the sea floor waiting to
snatch at passing prey. Some species can even rotate their other eye so that
both are looking up!

Camouflage

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Butterfly Fish
Butterfly fish have a false eye on
both sides of its body. This
feature serves two purposes.
1. To make predators think that it
is a larger fish with such a
large eye.
2. The false eye is located on the
very back of the prey. If it is
attacked it may get away if the
predator attacks what it thinks
is the head.
Also notice that its real eyes are
concealed by a black stripe
down its face.

Eye Stripe

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False Eye

Kill Deer Eggs - Camouflage

Kill Deer lay their eggs directly on gravel and their eggs look like gravel to as a
type of camouflage. There is another important adaptation. If anything gets
close to the young the mother will appear injured by dragging their wing across
the ground and limping. Predators will think its injured and follow it but the bird
stays just one limping step in front of themthe entire time they are leading the
predator AWAY from their young. Once they are far enough away the faking bird
will fly away.
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Leaf Insect
Small insects like this one are often a
favorite food for many animals. This
insect protects itself by mimicking a
green leaf. You can even see the
fake leave veins on its body.
This insect eats other smaller insects
but the disguise is strictly defensive
protecting it from predators.

Mimicry

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The shape of birds beaks may

have originally started off as just a
variation, but evolution has
separated them by their
environment, resources, and
functions.

Structural adaptation
1) Countershading - more
camouflaged on back
and white belly
2) Double cheek pouches
Behavioral adaptation
1) Hibernation
2) Food collection for winter
Functional adaptation
1) Digestive system built for
seeds

Structural adaptation
1) Warning colors
2) Claws used for digging
grubs under soil
Behavioral adaptation
1) Hibernation
2) Lifts tail to warn
3) Mostly nocturnal
Functional adaptation
1) Stinky, oily spray
2) Carnivore - eats mostly
insects
http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/full-page/public/migrated-images/skunk-summer-problem-white-stripes_h.jpg?itok=6rZ9dubU

Darwins Case:

The Struggle For Existence

Darwin realized that high birth
rates and a shortage of life's
basic resources (food, water,
and shelter) inevitably force
organisms to compete for
resources.
Competition, both within and
among species exists in almost
all natural environments.
This struggle is ultimately
reflected by reproductive
success

Darwins Case:

Variation Within Species

Members within a
species vary from one
another in important
ways.

At the time, variations

were thought to be
unimportant, minor
mutations.
Darwin argued that
this variation is
significant and allows
natural selection to
happen.

Inherited Genes code for all information about an individual and

species.
Passed from parent to offspring
Long chains of molecules need to replicate and sometimes it
makes a mistake. This causes a mutation.
Mutations may give an advantage or disadvantage for survival or
not impact them at all.

Mimicry of colors = advantage

Cat with extra toes =

neutral, not good or bad

Snakes scale colors are

missing = disadvantage,
no camouflage

Embryology
compares the
embryos of
vertebrates.
Since most have
pharyngeal pouches
near neck, this is
evidence of
evolution and a
possible common
ancestor.

Bird and bat wings

are homologous
and show possible
common ancestor.

The insect wing is

analogous to the
bird and bat
because it IS used
to fly, but its
structure is very
different.

Vestigial structures are body parts that have lost their original
function.
Penguins have
wings, but the
bones are not
hollow and they
cannot use them
to fly.

Humans have a tail

bone, even though we Snakes have tiny
no longer have tails.
bone stubs that
used to be
functioning legs.