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OPEN HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM (OHSP) LEARNING MODULE SCIENCE 10 (Old Curriculum)
Module 5: Biodiversity And Evolution (Evidence for Evolution)
Target Learner:
OHSP Independent Learners
Learning Competency:
Explain how fossil records, comparative anatomy and genetic information provide evidence for evolution.
(S10LT-IIIf-39)
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INTRODUCTION: Decoding the Past
Welcome to Module 5! As an independent OHSP learner, you are taking charge of your own education,
which is a fantastic achievement. Have you ever looked at the limestone hills or coastal rock formations
around La Union and wondered if they were once completely underwater millions of years ago? How do
scientists actually know that life on Earth has changed over millions of years? They don't just guess; they
act like detectives gathering clues from a crime scene. In this module, we will explore three major pieces of
evidence that prove living things evolve: Fossils, Anatomy (body structures), and Genetics (DNA). Read
through the detailed explanations at your own pace and try the self-check activities below.
LESSON PROPER: The Three Evidences of Evolution
1. Fossil Records (The Clues in the Rocks)
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms. They are usually found in sedimentary
rocks. By looking at the layers of rocks, scientists can tell the relative age of fossils. According to the Law of
Superposition, older fossils are found in the deeper, bottom layers, while newer fossils are found in the
upper layers.
How it proves evolution: The fossil record shows a progression of life. We can see transitional fossils (like
Archaeopteryx, which had traits of both reptiles and birds) that show how one species slowly transformed
into another over millions of years.
2. Comparative Anatomy (Comparing Body Parts)
Scientists also study the body structures of different animals to see how they are related. There are three
main types of structures you need to know:
• Homologous Structures: Parts that have the SAME underlying structure but DIFFERENT functions. For
example, the bones in a human arm, a bat's wing, and a whale's flipper are almost identical in layout. This
proves these organisms share a common ancestor.
• Analogous Structures: Parts that have DIFFERENT structures but the SAME function. For example, a
bird's wing (made of bones and feathers) and a butterfly's wing (made of chitin) both help with flying. This
shows that unrelated animals adapted to the same environment in similar ways.
• Vestigial Structures: Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution. Examples include
the human tailbone (coccyx) or the appendix. They are 'leftovers' from our ancestors.
3. Genetic Information (The Molecular Evidence)
If organisms are related, they should share similar DNA and amino acid sequences. This is the strongest
and most accurate evidence for evolution.
How it proves evolution: Think of DNA as a highly complex recipe. If two species have almost the exact
same recipe (like humans and chimpanzees, whose DNA is about 98% identical), it means they diverged
from a common ancestor very recently in Earth's history.
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SELF-PACED ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1: Detective Work (Identifying the Evidence)
Instructions: Read each scenario below. Identify whether the evidence described is FOSSIL RECORD,
COMPARATIVE ANATOMY, or GENETIC INFORMATION.
1. A scientist extracts DNA from a modern bird and compares it to the DNA of an alligator.
2. Paleontologists dig deep into a mountain and find a preserved footprint of an ancient dinosaur.
3. A student notices that a dog's leg and a human's arm have the exact same bone arrangement (humerus,
radius, ulna).
4. You learn that human embryos have gill slits in the early stages of development, just like fish.
5. Researchers find that the protein sequence in a monkey's blood is only slightly different from a human's.
Self-Check Guide & Explanations (Activity 1):
1. GENETIC INFORMATION (Extracting and comparing DNA is molecular/genetic evidence).
2. FOSSIL RECORD (Preserved footprints are 'trace fossils' found in rocks).
3. COMPARATIVE ANATOMY (Comparing bone arrangements involves homologous structures).
4. COMPARATIVE ANATOMY (Specifically, embryology, which falls under comparing body structures of
organisms as they develop).
5. GENETIC INFORMATION (Proteins are built using DNA codes. Comparing them is genetic evidence).
15-ITEM GAUGE (ASSESSMENT)
Instructions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Use this to check how much you have learned from
the module.
1. Fossils are most commonly preserved in which type of rock?
A. Igneous
B. Metamorphic
C. Sedimentary
D. Volcanic
2. According to the Law of Superposition, where would you find the oldest fossils?
A. In the top rock layer
B. In the deepest, bottom rock layer
C. In the middle rock layer
D. Mixed evenly in all layers
3. The wing of a bat, the flipper of a whale, and the arm of a human have the same bone structure but
different functions. What are these structures called?
A. Analogous structures
B. Vestigial structures
C. Homologous structures
D. Genetic structures
4. What do homologous structures suggest about the organisms that possess them?
A. They live in the exact same environment.
B. They share a common ancestor.
C. They eat the same food.
D. They are the exact same species.
5. The wings of a bird and the wings of a butterfly have the same function (flying) but completely different
internal structures. This is an example of:
A. Homologous structures
B. Analogous structures
C. Vestigial structures
D. Fossil records
6. Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure in humans?
A. The heart
B. The thumb
C. The tailbone (coccyx)
D. The lungs
7. What does a vestigial structure indicate?
A. That an organism is mutating rapidly.
B. That a body part was useful to an ancestor but is no longer needed.
C. That the organism is about to go extinct.
D. That the organism needs to evolve a new trait.
8. Which line of evidence is considered the most accurate and precise for determining evolutionary
relationships today?
A. Comparing habitats
B. Fossil hunting
C. Genetic information (DNA sequencing)
D. Comparing diets
9. If two different species have highly similar DNA sequences, what can be concluded?
A. They are completely unrelated.
B. They evolved in entirely different environments.
C. They share a recent common ancestor.
D. One species evolved directly into the other species just last year.
10. Transitional fossils are important because they:
A. Are completely intact.
B. Show the intermediate missing links between an ancient ancestor and a modern descendant.
C. Are made of pure gold.
D. Prove that evolution is false.
11. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. If the amino acid sequence of Cytochrome c is
compared between a human and a chimpanzee, how many differences are typically found?
A. Hundreds
B. Zero
C. Exactly fifty
D. Over a thousand
12. What concept explains why animals that live in the ocean, like sharks (fish) and dolphins (mammals),
both evolved streamlined bodies and fins despite being unrelated?
A. Analogous structures forming due to a similar environment.
B. Homologous structures forming due to a common ancestor.
C. Vestigial structures.
D. DNA replication.
13. Which is NOT one of the three main pieces of evidence for evolution discussed in this module?
A. Fossil Records
B. Comparative Anatomy
C. Genetic Information
D. Astrology
14. What acts as the 'blueprint' or 'recipe' that scientists compare when looking at Genetic Information?
A. The organism's diet
B. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)
C. The thickness of the rock layer
D. The shape of the fossil
15. As an independent learner analyzing evolutionary evidence, you observe that cats, dogs, and bears all
have very similar claw and paw structures. This comparative anatomy tells you that:
A. They all evolved from a plant.
B. They likely share a common mammalian ancestor.
C. They all have the exact same DNA.
D. They are analogous organisms.
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ANSWER KEY (Check your answers here!)
1. C | 2. B | 3. C | 4. B | 5. B | 6. C | 7. B | 8. C | 9. C | 10. B | 11. B | 12. A | 13. D | 14. B | 15. B