Questions to accompany “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea”

1. Why did Darwin keep his ideas to himself for so long?

His ideas countered science, history, and the church at the time, and he did not want to ruin his
reputation.

2. What did Darwin say about the formation of mountains in relation to the age of the Earth?

Over large periods of time, the rising and falling of the sea level eventually leads to the creation of
mountains.

3. What was unique about the birds he collected?

They were all new types of finches.

4. How does Darwin explain the appearance of new species?

The species were blown to the Galapagos Islands and then began to change, or adapt, and become more
and more different from their ancestors. First into variety, then into species.

5. What was unique about the fossils he collected?

They all went extinct.

6. How does he explain the continued existence of life, given that species are going extinct?

Creatures were “replaced” by the modern day version. Some sort of law where new species
show up in place of the extinct ones.

7. What was amazing about the beaks of the finches?

They all have different beak sizes. The beaks gradually change size to adapt to whatever type of
food they need to access.

8. What does the trunk represent on Darwin’s tree of life?

The ancient common ancestor.

9. How were the finch beaks special?

The beaks were adapted to the different food on the islands.

10. How was the mantis modified to help its survival?

The thorax and wings were flattened out to look like a leaf. Veins were more noticeable as well to
represent those on a leaf.

11. What happens every night at the tops of the Andes Mountains and how does that impact life
found there?

Temperatures drop below freezing levels. Animals that are not well adapted do not survive.
12. What does the hummingbird do to survive?

They drop their body temperature 50 degrees and go into a state of hibernation.

13. What evidence do modern scientists have that Darwin did not?

DNA

14. What is selective breeding, give an example?

Selective breeding is the process of modifying the characteristics of living things to enhance one or
more desirable traits by selection in breeding controlled by humans. Ex. Plants of the genus Brassica
have been bred to produce foods like broccoli, cabbage, and kale.

15. What did Malthus say to explain why human population doesn’t keep increasing indefinitely?

Things such as diseases, struggle for resources, war, famine, and death keep the population in check.

16. What ‘selects’ favorable traits that get passed on?

Nature.

17. Explain why they stopped giving the HIV patient his medicines and what happened?

The drugs were not doing him any better and he kept on getting side effects. The virus population
changes from being resistant to every drug to being susceptible to every single drug available.

18. What do the similar bone structures in hands and feet of so many animals indicate?

An ancient common ancestor.

19. Who sent Darwin an essay that dealt with the same idea of evolution?

Alfred Russel Wallace

20. Provide one modern piece of evidence that supports Darwin’s idea?

Chimp and Human DNA being 98% identical.

21. What is the driving force of evolution?

Natural selection

22. What three things are necessary for evolution to occur?

Struggle for existence, variation, and inheritance.

23. Who was Darwin buried near to?

Isaac Newton.