Great Transformations

SR.EVOLUTION.3E

BIOLOGY CURRICULUM 2006

GREAT TRANSFORMATIONS

As you watch and listen to the video, complete the following questions.

1. If the entire geologic history of the Earth is represented by an hour, what kinds of organisms would be present for the first 50 minutes?

2. Using the hour analogy, when did humans appear on Earth?

3. Mammals evolved about ______million years ago (mya) on land.

4. Why does Shubin believe the understanding of whale evolution to be so important?

5. List two ways that whales are like humans

6. The skull that Gingerich found resembled the skull of a ______, but had a “bump” only found in the skulls of modern-day whales.

7. A series of fossils that reveal gradual changes in form are called ______fossils.

8. 40 mya, the SaharaDesert used to be part of ______.

9. Why does Gingerich speculate that there are so many whale fossils in the Valley of the Whales?

10. What feature, not found in modern-day whales, did Basilosaurus possess?

11. Why might Sinonyx have gone into the water 50 mya?

12. List five body “transformations” that occurred over the course of whale evolution.

13. Do whales move like fish? Explain. Why was this significant to biologists?

14. What was the first “transformation” that led to mammalian evolution?

15. The four-limb body plan of all vertebrates is evidence of a

C A .

16. Where was Pennsylvania during the Devonian Period (370 mya)?

17. T/F According to Clack’s fossil evidence, forelimbs evolved after fish moved onto land.

18. According to Shubin, evolution is not “goal-oriented” but rather a series of ______.

19. When was the Cambrian Explosion? Why was it significant?

20. What does Shubin say evolution is really “tinkering with?”

21. What happened when Gehring inserted the mouse eye gene into the fruit fly embryos?

22. What does the fact that all animals have the same mechanism for development imply?

23. At least 4 mya, bipedalism, walking upright on two feet, evolved. Why was this significant to human evolution?

24. Why might studying lemur movement help scientists understand human evolution?

25. Name one way chimpanzees are identical, or nearly identical to humans, and one way they are different.

26. What do Johansen and Shubin think is “cool” about human evolution?

Going Further

1. The scientists mentioned that evolution doesn’t “start from stratch,” but that it “tinkers with” things. What do they mean by this statement? Give an example to support your answer.

2. What are your impressions of the scientists from the video? What traits do you think a successful paleontologist would possess?

3. During the video, many references are made to “the tree of life.” What does this mean? How is evolution like a tree?

4. How does the video support the statement, “Science is a process.”

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