Evidence for Evolution Worksheet

Recall, there are six pieces of evidence for evolution: Molecular Biology, Biogeography, Embryology, The Fossil Record, Comparative Anatomy, and observed changes today (ex. Antibiotic Resistance). This worksheet will explore these pieces of evidence. You will be asked to identify which of the six pieces of evidence each scenario supports as well as more specific questions to help you improve your understanding. You may use the six pieces of evidence more than once.

1. Humans, chimpanzees, whales, and bats all have the same bones in their arms, fins, or wings but they do not use them for the same function.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this an example of?
  2. What term describes these similar structures?
  3. What does this evidence suggest about humans, chimpanzees, whales, and bats?
  4. What type of evolution might explain why these organisms all have similar bone structures even though they live in different environments?

2. The human gene for your muscle protein is different from monkey muscle protein by 4 bases and different from a chicken’s gene in 25 bases.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What molecule controls the proteins that are made in a human? A monkey? A chicken?
  3. What does this piece of evidence tell you about the relationship between a human, a monkey and a chicken?

3. Honey possums lick nectar from flowers using a long tongue made of soft muscle. Butterflies lick nectar from flowers using a long tongue made of hard protein.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What terms describes the similar structures in honey possums and butterflies?
  3. What type of evolution may be the driving force between these two different organisms having similar structural adaptations?

4. The Human Tailbone (Coccyx):These fused vertebrae are the only vestiges that are left of the tail that other mammals still use for balance, communication, and in some primates, as a limb that helps them climb and grasp objects. As our ancestors were learning to walk upright, their tail became useless, and it slowly disappeared. It has been suggested that the coccyx helps to anchor minor muscles and may support pelvic organs. However, there have been many well documented medical cases where the tailbone has been surgically removed with little or no adverse effects.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What term describes the human tailbone?
  3. What does the presence of a coccyx in a human suggest about humans relationship to other mammals?

5.Yucca Plant and the Yucca Moth: The female moth lays her eggs in the flowers, simultaneously pollinating the plant, and the caterpillars develop within the seeds in the ovary of the plant. For the plant, the loss of a few seeds to caterpillars is a price worth paying to insure pollination. The yucca moth isthe only animal that is the right size and shape to pollinate yucca flowers.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What term describes the relationship between the yucca plant and the yucca moth?
  3. What would happen to the yucca plant if the yucca moth adapted to have a larger body shape?

6. The red fox lives in mixed farmlands and forests, where its red color helps it blend in with surrounding trees. The kit fox lives on the plains and in the deserts, where its sandy color helps conceal it from prey and predators. The ears of the kit fox are larger than those of the red fox. The kit fox's large ears are an adaptation to its desert environment. The enlarged surface area of its ears helps the fox get rid of excess body heat. Similarities in structure indicate that the red fox and the kit fox had a common ancestor.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What term describes the evolutionary process that occurred in the kit fox and red fox population over time?
  3. What caused these two species of fox to become so different from one another?

7. The cactus, Cereus gigantean, which grows in the American desert, and the Euphorbia, which grows in African deserts, both have fleshy stems that store water and are armed with spines that protect them from predators.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What term describes the similarities found in these two cacti?
  3. Even though these cacti live on different continents, why do they share so many similarities?

8. Trilobites, extinct marine arthropods, were common during the Paleozoic Era (540 to 245 mya); about half of the Paleozoic fossils are trilobites. They evolved at the beginning of the Paleozoic Era and went extinct during the late Permian period (248 million years ago).

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What term describes trilobites?
  3. If a new fossil was found in the same layer as a Trilobite, what could be determined about the time period in which the newly discovered fossil lived?

9. As a human embryo begins to form, its appearance is difficult to distinguish from other animals. However, as development of the embryo continues, the human form becomes more and more apparent.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. What does similar embryonic development suggest about the relationship between different species of animals?

10. MRSA is a bacterium (plural for bacteria) that causes many difficult to treat infections in humans. The MRSA bacterium is difficult to treat because it has become resistant to many standard antibiotics making it a dangerous and difficult illness to treat.The initial presentation of MRSA is small red bumps that resemble pimples, spider bites, or boils; they may be accompanied by fever and, occasionally, rashes. Within a few days, the bumps become larger and more painful; they eventually open into deep, pus-filled boils.

  1. Which of the six types of evidence for evolution is this?
  2. Explain how the MRSA bacteria has become resistant to most standard antibiotics.