Scientist Name ____________________________

Period _______________

ADAPTAT ION
Standard 4 Objective 2D
Relate the structure of organs to an organisms ability to survive in a specific environment

Adaptation - an inherited trait (variation) that improves an organism's chance of survival

in a particular environment.
1. Why do some traits give you advantage? (Look at the powerpoint slide and decide in
your group, why the moth has an advantage)

2. Why are huge back feet and a long tail an adaptation for a kangaroo?

3. What are other adaptations?

Darwins Turtles:
Complete the following:
Description of Shell
Saddleback
Tortoise

Type of Food

Domed
Tortoise
Intermediate
Tortoise

5. Which traits are an advantage on each island?

A. Pinta?
B. Isabela?
C. Hood?
6. Compare and contrast a Saddleback and a Domed shaped tortoise.

Saddleback

Domed

7. Why do the Saddleback and Domed shaped tortoises live on different islands?

Darwins FinchesWho Cares About The Finches Anyway?

Darwin noted that there existed many finches on the islands, but while they had
similarities, each was adapted to eating a particular type of island food
He concluded that the finches all came from one ancestral species and evolved into
many new species
Their beaks have evolved over time to be best suited to their function. For example,
the finches who eat grubs have a thin extended beak to poke into holes in the ground
and extract the grubs. Finches who eat buds and fruit would be less successful at
doing this, while their claw like beaks can grind down their food and thus give them a
selective advantage in circumstances where buds are the only real food source for
finches
8. What traits give the finches an advantage?
9. Why do the finches live on different islands?

Types of Adaptation
Anything that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment is an
adaptation. Adaptations also refer to the ability of living things to adjust to different
conditions wit in their environments.
There are 5 main types of adaptation
Structural Adaptation- involves some part of an animals body.

Protective Coloration-Coloration and protective resemblance allow an to blend into its

environment.

Mimicry-allows one animal to look, act or sound like another animal to fool predators
into thinking it is poisonous or dangerous.
ONLY SUCCESSFUL if:

Behavior adaptations-activities that help an animal survive. They can be learned or

instinctual.

Migration-This is a behavioral adaptation that involves an animal or group of animals

moving from one region to another and then back again.

Hibernation- This is a deep sleep in which an animals body temp drop, body activities
are slowed to conserve energy.
3

As you watch earth, record adaptations for each animal.

Polar Bear

Elephant

Humpback Whale

Jean Baptiste de Lamarck proposed a hypothesis to explain how species change over
time. He suggested that characteristics, or traits, developed during a parent organisms
lifetime are inherited by its offspring. His hypothesis is called the theory of Acquired
Characteristics.
10. How would Lamarck explain the evolution of long necks in giraffes?
11. How Darwin explain the evolution of long necks in giraffes?
12. How are Darwin & Lamarcks explanations different?

Natural Selection - the process by which organisms with favorable variations survive
and reproduce at higher rates than those without such variation.

In order for Natural Selection to take place there must be the following conditions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
13. What trait was selected for in the Blob population and why?
4

What is VaRiaTion?
Scenario 1: There are two types of worms: worms that eat at night (nocturnal) and
worms that eat during the day (diurnal). The birds eat during the day and seem to be
eating only the diurnal worms. The nocturnal worms are in the burrows at this time. Each
spring when the worms reproduce, they have about 500 babies but only 100 or these 500
ever become old enough to reproduce.
a. What worm had natural selection selected
AGAINST?________________________ FOR?__________________________
Identify the four conditions for natural selection in the scenario above.
1. Variation (population has different traits)
2. Competition (one variation is being favored)
3. Survival (Those that survive have favorable traits)
4. Reproduction (Favored trait is passed to offspring) Scenario 2: There are three types of polar bears: ones with thick coats, ones with thin
coats and ones with medium coats. It is fall, soon to be winter. The temperatures are
dropping rapidly and the bears must be kept warm, or they will freeze to death. Many of
the bear have had ~2 cubs each but due to extreme temperatures, many mothers have only
one cub left.
b. What bear will natural selection select
AGAINST?________________________ FOR?__________________________
Identify the four conditions for natural selection in the scenario above.
1. Variation (population has different traits)
2. Competition (one variation is being favored)
3. Survival (Those that survive have favorable traits)
4. Reproduction (Favored trait is passed to offspring) -

Scenario 3: There are two types of rabbits: those that eat strictly grass and those that
strictly eat berries and flowers. A drought occurs one year, and the plants have difficulty
producing any extras (flowers and berries.) They can only try and keep themselves green.
The rabbits had babies all year long but many are eaten by foxes or hawks. Due to the
drought, many have starved to death.
c. What rabbit will natural selection select
AGAINST?________________________ FOR?__________________________
Identify the four conditions for natural selection in the scenario above.
1. Variation (population has different traits)
2. Competition (one variation is being favored)
3. Survival (Those that survive have favorable traits)
5

4. Reproduction (Favored trait is passed to offspring) DEFINE EVOLUTIONEvolution by Natural Selection:

1. Describe what is happening in figures 1-3.

2. Is the population of mice different in figure 3 than in figure 1? Explain why.

3. What characteristic of the mice is an adaptation that increased their fitness?

4. Use The Mouse Table: According to the definition given for fitness, which mouse
would biologists consider the fittest? Explain why this mouse would be the fittest.

5. If a mouse's fur color is generally similar to its mothers color, what color fur would be
most common among the pups?
6. A more complete definition of fitness is the ability to survive and produce offspring
who can also survive and reproduce. Look at The Lion Table. According to this definition
of fitness, which lion would biologists consider the fittest? Explain why.

7. Over many generations heritable adaptive characteristics become more common in a

population. This process is called___________________________________________.
8. Evolution by natural selection takes place over ______________________
generations.
9. Not all characteristics which contribute to longer life become more common in the
population. Some characteristics contribute to long life, but not more offspring. For
example, a female cat which is sterile and cannot have any offspring may live longer
because she will not experience the biological stresses of repeated pregnancies.
Explain why a characteristic like this which contributes to a long life, but with few or no
offspring, would not become more common as a result of evolution by natural selection.
Below is a series of pictures representing changes in a population of cacti. Pictures 1
and 2 show what happened when a deer came to eat, picture 3 shows the cacti a few
weeks later (notice the flowers on the right-hand cactus), and picture 4 shows the
situation a few months later.

Recall that the three conditions listed below are necessary for natural selection to
take place.
1. Variation in characteristics within the population: In picture 1, what is
the main difference between the cactus on the left and the cactus on the
right?

2. Differences in survival and reproduction, fitness: Why would a deer

be more likely to eat the cactus on the left than the cactus on the right?

What effect does the deer's behavior have on the survival and
reproduction of these two types of cactus?

3. Heritability of characteristics from parent to offspring: The difference

between the cacti is a heritable characteristic (see picture 4).
Do you think that evolution by natural selection is occurring in this cactus
population? Explain why or why not.

Comparing the Theories.

Read the PowerPoint Comparing the Theories. Answer the following questions.
1. Which scenario sounds like an explanation that Darwin might give? Why?

2.

Which scenario sounds like an explanation that Lamarck might give? Why?
7

3. What are the specific clues that most clearly distinguish a Darwinian explanation
from a Lamarkian explanation?
4. Which explanation is most likely correct given the evidence for Darwins and
Lamarcks theories?

Who Would Have Said? Who Would Have Said?

Fill in the chart with Darwin, Lamarck or Both

1. Organisms have changed

over time.
2. Organisms have changed because they
wanted to survive.
3. There was variation in
the population.
4. Certain traits helped organisms survive
and reproduce better then organisms
without those traits.
5. Organisms can never
become extinct.
6. The environment had something to do
with why the organisms changed.
7. Parents are able to pass on at least
some of their traits to their offspring.
8. Parents are only able to pass on traits
they were born with.
9. Organisms could decide to change
something about their body and pass on
that change to their offspring.
10. Organisms are still changing.

Artificial Selection - Humans select individuals with desired characteristics to mate and
prevent those with less desirable traits from breeding.
Examples:

Scientists create GM tomatoes which stay fresh for a

month longer than usual
Scientists have created genetically modified tomatoes which stay fresh for a
month longer than usual.
The Telegraph: By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent 6:50AM GMT 02 Feb 2010

The fruits remained firm for 45 days, three times as long as normal tomatoes which start
to wilt after just 15 days, researchers said.
The team believe that the breakthrough could also lead to an extended shelf life for other
fruits, including bananas, and see the cost of their production tumble.
They lengthened the life of the tomatoes by turning off genes linked to the production
of two enzymes which cause the fruit to start to ripen.
Similar chemicals are involved in the maturation of other fruits, meaning the technique
has the potential to extend the lifespan of mango, papaya and bananas as well as tomato.
The alterations did not cause any other changes to the plants, the researchers said.
The new tomatoes grew normally, matured at a typical rate, and produced the same yield
as normal tomatoes, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal. However, the new fruits were more than twice as
firm as normal and stayed firm for much longer than other tomatoes.
As much as 40 per cent of harvested fruit can be wasted because it ripens too quickly, the
researchers from the National Institute of Plant Genomic Research in New Delhi, India,
estimate.
"Overall the results demonstrate a substantial improvement in fruit shelf-life," said Dr
Asis Datta, who led the study.
The engineering of plants with (this technique) provides a strategy for crop
improvement that can be extended to other important food crops.
However, it could be years before the fruits, still in the experimental stages, are available
in Britain, if ever.
The big supermarket chains, including Tesco, have a policy against stocking GM foods
on their shelves. GM crops, which opponents have dubbed Frankenstein food, can also
be sold in Europe only if they have passed rigorous safety tests and European law states
that GM foods have to be clearly labelled, including when they are sold loose.
However, campaigners have warned that there is no compulsory labelling of meat or
dairy products from animals which have been fed on GM crops, and that any long-term
problems from eating the foods is still unknown.
Although GM foods can only be planted in Britain as part of a trial, and even then only
under strict conditions, millions of hectares of the crops have already been planted in the
Americas. Pete Riley, from campaign group GM Freeze, said: The majority of the public
are very sceptical about the benefits of GM foods and I dont think that this will do
anything to persuade them.
We have survived for millennia without needing to extend the shelf life of fruits and
vegetables. Also, as many vitamins decline after fruit is picked this product could be less
9

nutritious than other tomatoes. He added that not enough was known about the longterm safety risks of GM foods. It is difficult to design a test to show whether there are
long-term dangers to human health, he said.
The fruits are not the first genetically modified tomatoes to have been created.
In 2001 scientists announced that they had made tomatoes unusually high in natural
antioxidants, called flavonols, which they said could help ward off illnesses including
heart disease and cancer.
CORE TEST PRACTICE:
Read the following situation and answer the question.
1. Your mother sends you to the store to buy some tomatoes. You notice when you get
there that there are several choices to make. Among those choices you notice a sign that
announces a new genetically altered tomato that resists "rotting," "stays firmer longer"
and has a "longer shelf life."
How would you go about testing (doing) sciences to support or reject these claims?
A. It is not possible for a student to test these claims
B. Buy a genetically engineered tomato and a regular tomato and compare the two
C. Buy 2 regular tomatoes and compare them
D. Buy 2 genetically engineered tomatoes and compare them
2. Through selective breeding, scientists have been able to increase the yield of many crops.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this type of breeding.

3. Moscow tomato plants have been found to be susceptible to disease. Scientists have used
genetics to change the plant to make it more disease resistant. By doing this they have changed
the plant from its original form.
Describe the pros and cons of the following statement:
Changing plants genetically to benefit people is acceptable regardless of the effect upon our
ecosystem.

4. Which is the best example of how science and improvements in technology affect life?
A. A birdwatcher feeds seeds to birdsd in the winter.
B. A person plants a garden in her backyard to grow vegetables.
C. A student watches a garter snake eat a mouse.
D. A dairy farmer chooses cows that produce more milk.
10

Making Human Insulin

http://www.abpischools.org.uk/page/modules/diabetes/diabetes6.cfm?coSiteNavigation_allTopic=1

For many years, insulin was obtained by purifying it from the pancreas of cows and
pigs slaughtered for food. This was expensive, difficult and the insulin could cause
allergic reactions.
Once the structure of human insulin had been found, in 1955, the cow and pig
insulin could be chemically modified to be the same as human insulin. It is now
made by genetically-engineered microbes. They produce human insulin in a pure
form that is less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Watch the animation on the above website.
Human insulin is produced in a very controlled and clean environment.
Genetically-engineered bacteria are grown in large stainless
steel fermentation vessels. The vessel contains all the nutrients needed for growth.
When the fermentation is complete, the mixture containing the bacteria
is harvested. The bacteria are filtered off and broken open to release the insulin
they have produced. It is then purified and packaged into bottles for distribution.
All the equipment is kept sterile so that contamination cannot get into the medicine.
Regular checks make sure that all the processes are working properly and the
insulin meets the required quality.
Practice putting the steps in order at the above website.
One of the possible future treatments for type 1 diabetes is gene therapy.
Researchers have identified a faulty gene which makes people with the gene more
likely to develop type 1 diabetes. In the future, this gene could be replaced by a
fully-working version of the gene. This could prevent people from getting diabetes.
In theory, gene therapy could even be used on embryos before they were
implanted into the womb during in vitro fertilisation treatment.
Is this a step too far for science or a great leap forward for medicine?
Watch the two views on the website. Then answer the questions.
1. What are the benefits and risks of developing gene therapy?
2. How would you feel if you had a genetic disorder that could not be treated in any
other way?
3. Should research into it be allowed or should it be banned?

11

Core Test Practice

1. By changing their genetic material, certain kinds of bacteria can be used to make lifesaving substances such as insulin. What advantages does this insulin have over that used
years ago? What other substances might be produced in this way to benefit mankind?

2. The human genetic material for insulin (a chemical that helps our bodies use sugar) is
inserted into bacteria cells. The bacteria then produce human insulin, which is harvested
and given to people with diabetes. What does this demonstrate?
A. Science affects human life.
B. All bacteria are helpful to humans.
C. Bacteria cannot be helpful to humans.
D. Science provides information, but it is irrelevant to life.
3. Many people fear the advancements being made in so-called genetic engineering.
What are they afraid might happen?

4. Sickle Cell Anemia is a blood disease caused by a persons genetic information. How
does knowing that this disease is genetic help people?

5. A farmer planted the same variety of corn in two different fields, one in a field he had
used before and one in a field that was new. The corn in the new field grew larger kernels
than the corn in the old field. The farmer concluded that he should eat the corn from the
new field and save the corn from the old field for seed. Was the farmer's conclusion a
good one?
A. Yes. Anyone can form good conclusions based on data and the corn from the old field
can grow large kernels as well as the corn from the new field.
B. No. The farmer is not a scientist and should not form conclusions. Also, the corn from
the new field will grow larger kernels when it is planted next year.
C. No. The farmer is not a scientist and hsoul dnot form conclusions even though the corn
from the old field can grow large kernels as well as the corn from the new field.
D. No. Although anyone can form good conclusions based on data, the corn from the new
field will grow larger kernels when it is planted next year.
Write an explanation for this answer.

12

More Core Test Practice Questions

1. What appears to be the most recent group of animals to have come into existence?
a. Reptiles
b. Mammals
c. Birds
d. Bony fishes
2. If the number of kinds of organisms in a group is a measure of successful adaptation, which
group of fishes appear to have been the most successful?
a. Armored fish
b. Bony fish
c. Cartilaginous fish
d. Each group is equally successful
3. If the above criteria are used, which group appears to have been the least successful?
a. Bony fish
b. Reptiles
c. Birds
d. Amphibians
4. Which group of animals best shows the idea that variety probably diminishes before the group
becomes extinct?
a. Amphibians
b. Armored fishes
c. Birds
d. Mammals

13

Toothpick Lab
Use the information to answer the questions:
Students dropped different colored toothpicks in lawn grass. They were given one minute to pick
up as many toothpicks as they could. Students found that they had more red and blue toothpicks
than green.
Ecologists observed that the Varying hares ("rabbits") fur is brown in the summer and white in
winter. They found that the population remained about the same in winter and summer.
1. What advantage does the model presented in the classroom have over the natural setting?
a. The time is unrealistic. Instead of a few minutes, considerable time lapses for oranisms to
adapt.
b. The process that is modeled cannot be observed and counted.
c. Different lifelike conditions can be easily brought into the model.
d. The toothpick color cannot accurately reflect live organisms.
2. According to these investigations, how does color affect organisms?
a. It helps them find communities to live in
b. It helps them stand out from their surroundings
c. It helps them find more food
d. It helps them escape predators
3. What advantage does the model presented in the classroom have over the natural setting?
a. It shows how easily people would find animals of different colors
b. It is more accurate because classroom models better represent nature than nature itself
c. It is easier to calculate the results because of the controlled environment
d. It bears no advantage over the natural testing environment
4. How does this model represent nature?
a. The green toothpicks represent camouflage in insects.
b. This model is as accurate as real life.
c. The model is on the same scale as nature
d. The model shows that most insects live in grasses.
5. Suppose that a brown bear has a cub with a mutation that makes the cub have white fur. How
would this white fur trait affect the bear's survival if the bear lived in an evergreen forest
environment? How would the trait affect survival if the bear lived in an environment like the Arctic?

14

Please Pass the Pepper!

Year

Light Moths

Dark Moths

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

556
537
484
392
246
225
193
147
84
56

64
112
198
210
281
357
412
503
594
638

Numbers of Moths Captured

Industrial melanism is the term used to describe the adaptation of an organism in response to industrial
pollution. One example of rapid industrial melanism occurred in the peppered moth in the area of
Manchester, England from 1845 to 1890. Before the Industrial Revolution, the trees in the forest around
Manchester were light, greyish-green due to the presence of lichens on their trunks. Peppered moths,
which lived in the area, were light with dark spots. Their coloring served as camouflage against predators.
As the Industrial Revolution progressed, the trees became covered with soot, turning the trunks dark. Over
a period of 45 years, the peppered moth changed to a predominantly dark species, with only a few lightcolored individuals remaining. In this investigation, you will observe the effects of industrial melanism in
the peppered moth over the course of several years.

650
600
550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0 1

2 3

4 5

7 8

9 10

Years

Questions:
1. What could have caused the first moth to change from a light variety to a dark
variety?
2. Using the data on the graph, draw a conclusion concerning the population of peppered
moths in the sampled area of England.

3. Explain the reason for the increase in the number of dark-colored moths.

4. What effect would cleaning up the environment have on the moth?

15

Pepper Pickers!!!
Materials:
Sheet of white paper
Newspaper
Forceps
Colored Pencils

Clock with Second Hand

30 newspaper circles (made with hole punch)
30 white circles (made with hole punch)

Purpose: In this lab, you will simulate how predators locate prey in different environments. You
will analyze how color affects and organism's ability to survive in certain environments.
Procedure:
1. Place a sheet of white paper on the table and have one person spread 30 white circles
and 30 newspaper circles over the surface while the other person isn't looking.
2. The "predator" will then use forceps to pick up as many of the circles as he can in 15
seconds.
3. This trial will be repeated with white circles on a newspaper background, newspaper
circles on a white background, and newspaper circles on a newspaper background.
Record the data in chart below.

Starting
Population

Number Picked
up

Trial Background Newspaper White White Newspaper

1

white

30

30

white

30

30

newspaper

30

30

newspaper

30

30

1. What did the experiment show about how prey are selected by predators?

2. What moth coloration is the best adaptation for a dark (newspaper) background? How do you
know?

3. What would you expect the next generation of moths to look like after trial 1? What about the
next generation after trial 3?

4. How does the simulation model natural selection?

16

The Woolybooger Lab

On a distant planet there exist 4 species of a creature called a
Woolybooger. Each is similar except their mouth has variations. All
Woolyboogers eat beans.
i
i
i
i

One
One
One
One

has
has
has
has

a
a
a
a

spoon shaped mouth.

clothespin shaped mouth.
tweezer shaped mouth.
knife shaped mouth

Directions:
You will play the part of each type of Woolybooger. You must collect 20
beans in 30 seconds in order to survive. You will try this four times, each
time you will you a different tool.
Record your results in the table below:

Woolybooger mouth part

Clothespin
Tweezer
Knife
Spoon

Beans collected

Did you survive?

Answer the following questions on your paper.

1.What happens to animals that cannot compete as well with other animals in the wild?
2. Name a real-life example of the Woolybooger, where one species has the advantage over
another.

3. Sometimes animals that are introduced into an area that they never lived in before, out-compete
and endanger resident species, why do you think this happens?

4. If only one species is considered the fittest, why do we still have so many variations among
species. (Why do some birds have very long pointy beaks, while others have short flat beaks)?

5. How do you think diseases can affect natural selection?

17

The Future is Wild

5 Million Years
According to the video, describe the environment and the organisms in the future for each of the
following areas:

Paris Environment: ______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Snowstalker: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Shagrat: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Midwest Environment: __________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Spink: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Rattleback: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Deathgleaner: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Amazon Environment: ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Babookari: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Carakiller: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

18

The Future is Wild

100 Million Years
Paris Environment: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Ocean Phantom: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Reef Glider: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Calcutta, India Environment: ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Swampus: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Toraton: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Lurkfish: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Australia Environment: __________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Windrunner: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Silver Spider: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Poggle: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

19

The Future is Wild

200 Million Years
Antarctica Environment: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Sharkopath: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Rainbow Squid: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

New York Environment: ____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Flish: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Bumblebeetles: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Terrabyte: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Paris Environment: __________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Meagsquid: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Squibbon: Ancestor: _________________________
Description: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

20