Evolution Webquest

Introduction

This webquest will help you learn all about evolution! First you will learn about the basics of evolution and then about different types of evidence involved with evolution, including fossils and transitional forms, relative and numerical (carbon) dating, geography homologous structures, artificial selection, experiments and a few mentions of embryonic development.

Task

Complete the webquest using the provided linked websites!

Part 1: The Basics of Evolution

Begin learning about evolution with this link: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_14

  1. What is evolution and what is it responsible for? 
  2. Fundamental to the process of evolution is _____________ ______________ upon which ______________ ____________ can act.
  3. When does evolution take place?
  4. Only inherited _____________________ differences that can be passed on are acted upon by evolution.
  5. Compare the two examples of changes in beetle populations. Which of the two scenarios is an example of evolution? Defend your answer with an explanation.
  6. What are the 4 mechanisms of change?
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    2.  
    3.  
    4.  
  7. What are the sources of genetic variation?
    1.  
    2.  
    3.  
  8.  ​​​​​​Mutations can be  ___________, ___________, or ___________ to an organism and overall are considered to be _______________ as they do not try to change the organism.
  9. What two main things can cause a mutation to occur?
  10. What is gene flow? Provide examples from the introduction.
  11. Read until you get to Genetic Drift. Summarize the idea behind genetic drift.
  12. In the cartoon of the beetles and the bird, how did natural selection play out?
  13. If you have ____________, ______________, and ______________, you will have evolution by natural selection as an outcome.
  14.  How do the finches of the Galapagos Islands demonstrate evolution?
  15.  Fitness does not necessarily mean “strongest.” Defend this statement.

Part 2: Use The Link Below 

Click this link: http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/charles-darwin-game/

  1. What does “survival of the fittest” mean?
  2. Now play Darwin’s survival game. How would you describe your starting environment? What kinds of landforms are present? What kind of vegetation is there? Anything else that is noteworthy?

Part 3: Evidence for Evolution

Go to: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/lines_01 

GO TO FOSSIL EVIDENCE:

  1. What does fossil evidence clearly show?
  2. What did "tongue stones" actually end up being?
  3. What powerful message was sent by the discovery of iguanodon teeth? 
  4. What do clues contained in each fossil help to understand? 
  5. With which extinct organism did the ammonite fossil have an interaction with? And how do we know of these interactions?
  6. What can we tell from the fossilized bone of the duck bill dinosaur Maiasaura?

GO TO TRANSITIONAL FORMS:

  1. How do we know that Pakicetus is related to whales and dolphins?
  2. What was the transitional form between Pakicetus and modern day whales? Why does this make sense as far as nostril location?
  3. How does the diagram depicting the evolution of the eohippus into the modern day horse include transitional forms?

Watch the video below: 

https://youtu.be/P3GagfbA2vo

  1.  How do homologous structures display evidence of evolution?
  2. How is biogeography explained by evolution?

Evaluation

You're finished! Now that you have learned all about evolution create a poster that includes 3 pieces of evidence for evolution. Provide and illustration for each piece of evidence you chose along with a detailed explanation of how it provides evidence of the evolutionary process. 

Credits