Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 672 views

    Evidence For Evolution Guided Inquiry Worksheet

    Uploaded by

    Mya Ireland
    Scientists use various techniques to determine evolutionary relationships between species, including comparing embryos, vestigial structures, homologous structures, fossils, morphology, and DNA sequences. This document discusses evidence that whales evolved from land mammals, as embryos and vestigial leg bones provide clues about their shared ancestry with four-legged terrestrial creatures. DNA analysis of different whale species also reveals their evolutionary connections.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Evidence For Evolution Guided Inquiry Worksheet

    Uploaded by

    Mya Ireland
    672 views6 pages
    Scientists use various techniques to determine evolutionary relationships between species, including comparing embryos, vestigial structures, homologous structures, fossils, morphology, and DNA sequences. This document discusses evidence that whales evolved from land mammals, as embryos and vestigial leg bones provide clues about their shared ancestry with four-legged terrestrial creatures. DNA analysis of different whale species also reveals their evolutionary connections.

    Original Title

    Evidence for Evolution Guided Inquiry Worksheet

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Scientists use various techniques to determine evolutionary relationships between species, including comparing embryos, vestigial structures, homologous structures, fossils, morphology, and DNA sequences. This document discusses evidence that whales evolved from land mammals, as embryos and vestigial leg bones provide clues about their shared ancestry with four-legged terrestrial creatures. DNA analysis of different whale species also reveals their evolutionary connections.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    672 views6 pages

    Evidence For Evolution Guided Inquiry Worksheet

    Uploaded by

    Mya Ireland
    Scientists use various techniques to determine evolutionary relationships between species, including comparing embryos, vestigial structures, homologous structures, fossils, morphology, and DNA sequences. This document discusses evidence that whales evolved from land mammals, as embryos and vestigial leg bones provide clues about their shared ancestry with four-legged terrestrial creatures. DNA analysis of different whale species also reveals their evolutionary connections.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 6

    Name:_ _Per: ____

    Evidence for Evolution WS


    Scientists use a variety of techniques to determine if species are closely related or not. All of these techniques provide
    evidence for evolution. If species are closely related, then they must have come from a common ancestor that evolved over
    time into two separate species. Today we will be using data to analyze the relationships between different species of whales.

    1. Scientists use embryos to study the


    evolution of organisms. An embryo is an
    unborn organism in the process of
    development. This is a picture of a whale
    embryo at the right. Look at the embryo
    handout BELOW and compare the whale
    embryo to the embryos of other animals.
    Which embryo on the handout do you think
    is most closely related to the whale?

    2. Why do you think this animal is most closely related to the whale?

    3. Scientists also use vestigial structures to look at how organisms evolved. Vestigial
    structures are structures that an organism has but that are no longer used. For
    example, humans have a tailbone but we don’t actually have a tail! This is
    because we came from a common ancestor a long time ago that had a tail. Over
    time, our tail got shorter and shorter because we didn’t need it anymore. Look at
    the picture below of a whale showing vestigial structures (pelvis and femur). Why
    would a whale have a pelvis (hip bone) and femur (legs) even though it doesn’t
    walk?

    4. Look at the diagram at the right. The common ancestor is the organism at
    the bottom of the “tree”. Would the common ancestor of all these species
    have a pelvis and femur?
    5. In addition to comparing structures that no longer serve a purpose, scientists
    compare structures that still serve a purpose for the organism. These
    structures are called homologous structures. Look at the picture to the right.
    How are the flipper and the human arm similar?

    6. How are the whale flipper and the human arm different?

    7. Given what you know about humans and whales, do you think they may have shared a common ancestor a long time
    ago? Why or why not?

    8. Fossils can provide scientists with clues as to how organisms evolved. Look at the fossils below. Place them in order
    by numbering them to show how whales evolved over time.

    _____ _________ ____________

    ____________ ___________ ____#6_____

    9. Scientists use morphology to look at relationships between species. Morphology is the study of physical structures of
    organisms (ex: limbs, body parts, shapes). Look at the Whale Species Handout below, and compare each species to
    the Sei Whale. Which species do you think is most closely related to the Sei Whale?

    10. List at least two pieces of evidence from the pictures that led you to believe that the species you chose in #9 was
    most closely related to the Sei Whale.
    11. Scientists also use DNA sequences to figure out which organisms are most closely related to each other. Compare
    the B. borealis (sei whale) DNA sequence to the other species of whales. Circle any differences.

    B. borealis (sei whale) AAA CCG TAG GCG TCA CGG TAA ATT CCC
    B. bonarensis (mink whale) AAG CAC TTT GCA TCA CCC TTT ATT CCG
    B. physalus (fin whale) AAG CAC TTG GCA TCA CGG TTT ATT CCG
    B. brydei (bryde’s whale) AAA CCC TTG GCG TCA CGG TAA ATT CCG

    12. Which species of whale seems to be the most closely related to B. borealis (Sei Whale)?

    13. Why do you think this whale is most closely related to the B. borealis (Sei whale)? (Hint: how did you use the DNA to
    figure it out?)
    Embryo Handout
    Use this for question 1
    Whale Species Handout
    Use this for question 9
    Minke Whale
    Size: 18 feet
    Weight: 12,000 pounds
    Snout: Sharply pointed
    Throat Grooves: 50-70
    Dorsal Fin size: 21-23 inches

    Sei Whale
    Size: 60 feet
    Weight: 44,000 pounds
    Snout: Sharply pointed
    Throat Grooves: 32-60
    Dorsal fin size: 12-18
    inches

    Fin Whale
    Size: 68 feet
    Weight: 100,000 pounds
    Snout: Rounded

    Throat Grooves: 56-100


    Dorsal fin size: 11 inches

    Bryde’s Whale
    Size: 40-50 feet
    Weight: 50,000 pounds
    Snout: Sharply pointed
    Throat Grooves: 40-50
    Dorsal Fin Size: 12-14 inches

    You might also like