Quiz: Evidence for Evolution

Go put your best thinking cap on because it's quiz time! Remember, no cheating (yes, Google is a form of cheating.)

1. Explain the following picture in terms evidence for evolution. (It's a picture of a species evolving into other species)

This evolution is of a land mammal slowly evolving into a water mammal, probably an early form of a whale. The land mammal, the mesonychid, slowly adapts to the water environment by growing webbed  feet. The arms are shorter and not dog-like anymore and the fur of the mesonychid is receding. This is the transitional species ambulocetus. This mammal continues to evolve, its hind legs disappearing, its front legs changing into fins until it begins to look more like a whale than a dog.

2. Which of the following continents did marsupials begin from?

1. Europe
2. Africa
3. Australia
4. South America
5. North America

Answer: b, Africa

3. Comparing a dragonfly, bird, bats - explain the type of evolution that these organisms show.

Dragonflies, birds, and bats all have the ability of flight. However, they are not related. These species all obtained their ability to fly through different circumstances. Their structures are therefore analogous structures because the structure of their wings are similar, but unrelated.

4. Explain how the Common Descent Lab shows DNA evidence and ancestry as evidence for evolution. Include examples of Primates.

The Common Descent Lab (the one with the beads) shows that DNA can track how closely related two species are to each other. For example, our human DNA was much more similar to our chimpanzee DNA than it was to the gorilla DNA. That data proves that humans are more closely related to chimpanzees than they are gorillas. 

5. Explain homology using some examples from your reading.

So we're reading Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin. Homology as similar physical structures between related species. So these species with the same structures have evolved from a common ancestor. In the book, Shubin uses the Tiktaalik as an example for the earliest wrist, which is similar to human wrists. Other examples include the one bone, two bone, blob structure of the limbs that we went over in class. 

So, these are my answers. Anyone learn something new? I hope so. If not then you're just a smarty pants. 

New blog post coming on Saturday. You might get to hear me sing. 

Until next time.