Evolutionary Changes

Evolutionary Changes

by Nathaniel Pecoraro

​Organs and structures that are shared between related organisms but may not serve the same purpose.

​​Homologous

​Organs, structures or processes that still exist but not needed for survival. They are ties to our earlier development.

​​Vestigial

​

​Convergent evolution occurs when species occupy similar ecological niches and adapt in similar ways in response to similar selective pressures

​​Convergent Evolution

​

​Last Universal Common Ancestor

This is where we trace our original genetic information of DNA to. ​Every organism on Earth shares LUCA as an ancestor.

​​LUCA

Multiple Choice

These are structures or organs that are shared by different species. They look similar and serve a similar purpose.

• Homologous 

• Vestigial

• Homophone

• Analogous

Multiple Choice

These are structures, organs, or processes that are no longer needed, but still exist.

• Homologous

• Analo

• Vestigial

• Homophones

Multiple Choice

This whale pelvic bones is an example of what?

• Vestigial

• Homologous Structure

• Homophones

• Support for another set of flippers

Multiple Choice

This image shows examples of? 

• Vestigial Structures

• Homologous Structures

• Homophones

• Analogous Structures

Analogous Structures​

Features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure. These structures are the evidence of Convergent Evolution.​

​Explanations

​Organisms that are unrelated to each other share structures that serve the same purpose but are very different.

​In the picture we see that Birds, Butterflies and Bats all have different wings. While they all have DNA and can be traced back to LUCA they are very different organisms.

Multiple Choice

What was/is LUCA? 

• Last Universal Common Ancestor

• An Italian Fish Person who wants to be a land animal.

• Lost Universal Common Ancestor

• The name of a science program used to explain evolution

​Examples of Analogous 

Open Ended

Why would it be important for organisms to have similar structures when unrelated, such as flippers in Dolphins (mammal), Sharks (fish) and Penguins (bird)? You can discuss this with your table.

​Explanations

​Wings are needed to fly, different types of organisms developed them independently of each other, the same happens with animals that live in the sea.

​When scuba divers head to the ocean they wear flippers to increase the ability to move. Which makes sense that organisms that live in sea would develop similar structures.

​Legs in different types of animals are other examples of this.

Multiple Choice

These are structures that serve the same purpose but are very different in composition. 

• Vestigial

• Homologous

• Analogous

• Homophones

Poll

Can a Vestigial Structure also be Homologous or Analogous

• Yes

• No