Name: __________________________ Period: ________

Explaining – Evidence of Evolution

Part A – Fossil Evidence

 Compare the images of the early and modern horse forelimbs.

The modern horse has one toe, or hoof.
 How do the forelimbs compare from the early to the modern
horse?

KW 2016
Part B – Comparative Anatomy

 Look closely at the scapula, sternum, tail, and feet of all 3 skeletons. Note that both the
Deinonychus and the bird have an extra toe that points backward.
 Fill in data in Table 1 by checking off which features you observe in each skeleton.

Figure 1

Table 1
Characteristic Alligator Bird Deinonychus

Narrow scapula (shoulder blade)

Wide scapula (shoulder blade)

Prominent sternum (breastbone)

3 primary toes on hind feet

4 primary toes on hind feet

Extra toe that points backward

Hind legs underneath the body rather

than to the sides

Long tail

Short tail

Claws on front feet

Claws only on hind feet

Bipedal (walks on 2 legs)

Quadrupedal (walks on 4 legs)

Teeth
Part C: Homologous Structures

These structures are formed in similar ways during embryonic development and share like
arrangements; however they have somewhat different forms and functions. They are called
homologous structures.

Figure 2
1. Describe the function of each structure from Figure 2 in Table 2.
Table 2

Animal Function of Structure

Human

Whale

Cat

Bat

Bird

Crocodile

2. Are the bones arranged in a similar way in each animal?

Part D: Analogous Structures

Some apparently unrelated animals have organs with similar functions, yet are very different in
structure and form. These structures are called analogous structures.

Figure 3

1. What function do these structures share?

2. How are these structures different?
3. Do birds and insects share any structural (elements inside the wing) similarities that would
suggest they are closely related taxonomically?
Part E: Vestigial Structures

Figure 4

1. Explain why eyesight is not an important adaptation to life in a cave.

2. What do you think has become the most important adaptation of the cave fish (think
about senses)? (Explain your answer)

3. What about the internal structure of the cavefish and minnow suggest common
ancestry?

Part F: Human Vestigial Structures

Read the list of human vestigial structures shown in Table 3. Suggest a possible function for
each structure and explain why it became vestigial. Record your answers in the table

Table 3
Structure Possible Function Why vestigial?

appendix (digests leaves

in koala bears)

coccyx (tail bones)

muscles that move ears

muscles that make hair

stand up
Part G: Comparative Embryology

Figure 5

Table 4
Species List similarities of each embryo to others

Fish

Turtle
 Salamander

Human

Part H: Biogenesis
1. Studies of the biosphere show that each species of has a certain range of existence. This
categorization of the geographic distribution of organisms is referred to as biogenesis.
Examine Figure 6 which is illustrations of the world’s biogeographic realms.
a. How would you describe the distribution of mammals across all biogeographic realms
of the world?
b. How would you describe the distribution of marsupial mammals such as the koala bear,
duck-billed platypus, and kangaroo?
Figure 6

Part I: Molecular
Biology
1. Cytochrome
c is a protein
that contains
100 to 104
amino acids
(the building
blocks of
protein) and
is used in
cellular
respiration.
Table 5 below shows how many differences exist between species in their cytochrome c
amino acid sequences.
a. Which organisms are most similar based on their cytochrome c amino acid sequences?

b. Which organism are the most dissimilar?

 Table 5

Part J: Observable Evolution

1. Originally, light, speckled pepper moths (Biston betularia)

were camouflaged well against predators. Before the industrial revolution a uniformly dark
variant made up 2% of the species. After the industrial revolution, 95% of peppered moths
showed the dark coloration. Trees were darkened by pollution. Examine the pictures of the
peppered moths.
a. How many moths do you see in each of the three
picture?

b. How does each moth that you see compare to its

background?

Figure 6

2.

Study the graph of bacterial resistance to vancomycin, a once potent antibiotic. Antibiotic
resistance results from over-prescription of antibiotics and discontinuation of their use
mid-course.
 a. What is the trend in vancomycin resistance from the
1983 to 2001 (and present)?

Explain – Evidence of Evolution

Part A – Fossil Evidence

1. How does the forelimb of the modern horse compare to that of the earlier horses?

2. How does fossil evidence provide evidence of evolution?

Part B – Comparative Anatomy

1. What anatomical structures does the modern-day alligator share with the modern-day
bird?

2. How does comparative anatomy provide evidence of evolution?

Part C – Homologous Structures

1. What are homologous structures?

2. How do the functions of analogous structures compare?

3. How do analogous structures provide evidence for evolution?

Part D – Analogous Structures

1. What are analogous structures?

2. What function do the structures share?

3. How are the structures different?

4. Do birds and insects share any structural (elements inside the wing) similarities that would
suggest they are closely related taxonomically?

5. How do analogous structures provide evidence of evolution?

Part E – Vestigial Structures

1. What are vestigial structures?

2. Why is eyesight not an important adaptation to life in a cave?

3. What do you think has become the most important adaptation of the cave fish (think about
senses)? Explain.
4. What about the structure off the cavefish and minnow suggest common ancestry?

5. How do vestigial structures provide evidence of evolution?

Part F – Human Vestigial Structures

1. How do human vestigial structures provide evidence of evolution?

Part G – Comparative Embryology

1. How do the embryos compare as they develop over time?

2. How does comparative embryology provide evidence of evolution?

Part H – Biogeography

1. What is biogeography?

2. How are Darwin’s finches an example

of biogeography?

3. How does biogeography provide

evidence of evolution?

Part I – Molecular Biology

1. How does molecular biology provide

evidence of evolution?
Part J – Observed Evolutionary Change

1. How long of a process is evolution?

2. How does the peppered moth provide evidence of evolution?

3. Why do you think antibiotic resistance evolved so quickly?

4. How does antibiotic resistance provide evidence of evolution?