SC.912.L.15.1 - Comparative Anatomy

Why don’t we have a complete fossil record of all life that’s ever lived?

• Fossil formation requires a rare mix of physical and biological conditions.
• Fossils must be exposed at Earth’s surface to have a chance of being found.
• Fossils can be destroyed when rocks erode, melt, or change composition.
• All of the above

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Oceanic islands can be home to species found nowhere else on Earth. Why?

• Island habitats are more diverse than non-island habitats.
• Islands are free of disease and carnivores.
• Islands are often isolated, minimizing gene flow and maximizing diversification.
• Island habitats are stable, minimizing adaptation and maximizing reproduction.

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What do phylogenic trees do?

• Help you visualize how species are related.
• Provide windbreaks in your yard.
• Provide DNA details.

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What is NOT true about the evidence that fossils provide?

• Some fossil organisms are transitional forms between groups of organisms.
• Fossil organisms often share physical similarities with living organisms.
• All fossils contain intact DNA that can be sequenced
• Fossil ages can often be determined by testing nearby rocks.

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Structures with the same parts have different functions; suggests that organisms share a common ancestry

• vestigial structures
• homologous structures
• adaptive radiation
• fossil

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If an organism has a vestigial structure, that structure likely once had a function in a(n)

• close relative
• early ancestor
• unrelated organism
• embryological stage

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The process by which populations slowly change over time is called__________

• selective breeding
• adaptation
• sepeciation
• evolution

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Some organisms that share a common ancestor have features that have different functions, but similar structures.  These are known as

• vestigial structures
• analogous structures
• homologous structures
• fossil structures

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Study of embryos of various organisms to show a common ancestor because of similarities in development

• natural selection
• embryology
• speciation
• evolution

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Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?

• the wings of a red-tailed hawk
• the hind limbs of a house cat
• the fins of sharks
• the tailbone of a human

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