When Fish First Walked

When Fish First Walked

by ReadWorks

A few hundred million years ago, the competition for food between fishes was fierce. So much so that
gradually, some fish developed the ability to get out of the water and reach food sources that none of
the other fish could get to. They survived long enough to successfully reproduce, and passed this
characteristic on to future generations. In fact, from these fish eventually originated the animals with
two pairs of limbs, including human beings.

This is an example of natural selection. An organism that develops a trait that helps it survive in its
environment will have a better chance of reproducing and passing that trait on to the next generation.
As a consequence, organisms with this helpful trait will become more prominent while other
organisms of the same species die out. Why do giraffes have long necks? Why do rabbits produce so
many offspring? Natural selection can help us understand why some species are the way they are.

The term "natural selection" was coined by Charles Darwin, who developed the scientific theory of
evolution. Darwin was born in England in 1809 and spent his life observing animals and plants from
around the world. He explained the theory in his landmark book On the Origin of Species.

Sometimes, the changes that occur among a group of organisms will seem very small but still play an
important role in their survival. Take, for example, the peppered moth. The peppered moth was light in
color and had speckled wings. It was hard to pick out against many of the trees and buildings in
England and could camouflage itself easily. But during the Industrial Revolution, London became
polluted, and the smog turned everything black. Now the moths could be seen more easily by
predators; they had nowhere to hide. Around this time, dark-colored peppered moths, which are
almost invisible against a dark background, began to appear and soon became widespread. The
lighter moths, on the other hand, became scarce in these sooty industrial areas.
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 When Fish First Walked

Another case that has to do with survival through camouflage involves the little deer mouse. Typically,
deer mice are dark brown, which makes it easier for them to hide from owls and other predators in the
dark soil of the woods. The deer mouse that lives in Nebraska's light-colored Sand Hills, however, has
gone from brunette to blonde so it can blend in and have a better chance at survival. It took
thousands of years for these mice to change the color of their coats, which may sound like a long
time, but when it comes to evolution, that's pretty quick!

One interesting case study is that of the Galápagos finches, about 14 species of bird that were
studied by Darwin on the Galápagos Islands. Often referred to as "Darwin's finches," these birds look
very much alike. The most significant difference among them is the size and shape of their beaks.
Every different beak evolved the way it did so as to be suited to a particular feeding task. When, in
1977, a drought hit the island, vegetation withered and the only seeds left were large and tough. The
finches with deeper, stronger beaks were able to crack through these seeds, and many more of them
survived than their smaller-beaked brothers. However, in the mid-1980s, during an especially rainy
time, smaller, softer seeds flourished. The birds best adapted to eat them had smaller beaks and they
fared much better.

Where have all the dull male peafowl (peacocks) gone? Well, female peafowl (peahens) choose their
mates based on the color and brightness of their plumage. This means that peacocks with impressive
tail feathers are able to find mates more easily. A few thousand years ago, there were many more
males with dull feathers, but they kept getting passed over by the females and did not reproduce.
Their numbers therefore began to dwindle. These days, they're quite rare.

Darwin's theory teaches us that an animal or plant that adapts to its environment and remains alive
long enough to procreate will thrive. The dodo bird, which has gone extinct, was not lucky in this
respect. A lack of predators for thousands, and maybe even millions, of years meant that the dodos
never learned to fly. When humans finally arrived to their home on the island of Mauritius, the dodos
had no way of protecting themselves and, in the 17th century, were wiped out. It isn't easy being on
the wrong side of natural selection. Fortunately for us humans, the fish with the fleshy, leg-like fins
came out on top.

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 When Fish First Walked - Comprehension Questions

Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

1. What is natural selection?

A. the process by which humans evolved from fish and monkeys

B. the process by which species change as unsuccessful traits are passed on to the next
generation
C. small changes in individual organisms that are not passed on to the next generation
D. the process by which species change as successful traits are passed on to the next
generation

2. What does the author list and describe in the passage?

A. examples of natural selection in various species

B. how the dodo bird adapted to the invasive human population
C. the different wing sizes of Galápagos finches
D. how the Industrial Revolution affected London's human population

3. Peppered moths became darker colored because the dark moths were better suited
to the sooty environment than the light moths. What details from the passage support
this statement?

A. Male peacocks with impressive tail feathers are able to find mates more easily.
B. Deer mice are dark brown, which makes it easier for them to hide from owls and other
predators in the dark soil of the woods.
C. The light moths could be easily seen by predators, while the dark moths were nearly
invisible on dark backgrounds.
D. During the Industrial Revolution, London became polluted and the smog turned
everything black.

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 When Fish First Walked - Comprehension Questions

4. Read the following sentences: "Another case that has to do with survival through
camouflage involves the little deer mouse. Typically, deer mice are dark brown, which
makes it easier for them to hide from owls and other predators in the dark soil of the
woods. The deer mouse that lives in Nebraska's light-colored Sand Hills, however, has
gone from brunette to blonde so it can blend in and have a better chance at survival."

Which of the following conclusions about deer mice is supported by the text?

A. Deer mice migrated from Nebraska to the woods.

B. The color of deer mice changes based on the environment.
C. Deer mice that are blonde will survive easier in the woods.
D. Owls do not hunt deer mice in Nebraska.

5. What is this passage mostly about?

A. Charles Darwin
B. the evolution of fish
C. natural selection
D. Galápagos finches

6. Read the following sentences: "An organism that develops a trait that helps it survive
in its environment will have a better chance of reproducing and passing that trait on to
the next generation. As a consequence, organisms with this helpful trait will become
more prominent while other organisms of the same species die out."

As used in the passage, what does "prominent" most nearly mean?

A. widely seen
B. unpopular
C. scarce
D. large

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 When Fish First Walked - Comprehension Questions

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Female peacocks prefer to mate with males that have brightly colored plumage;
___________, male peacocks with dull feathers have become quite rare.

A. however
B. finally
C. specifically
D. as a result

8. Why did the dodo bird never develop the ability to fly?

9. Fish that developed the ability to live out of water is one example of natural selection.
Explain how another species has adapted via natural selection.

10. How can a particular trait be both advantageous and disadvantageous? Support
your answer with details from the passage.

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