1.
Natural selection is:
the idea that traits that help animals survive and reproduce become more frequent.
embryos sharing features in the late stages of development.
that all vertebrates have seven vertebrae in their necks.
the idea that traits that help animals survive and reproduce become more frequent.
2.
Name the structure that is unique to all vertebrates.
The backbone or spinal column is unique to all vertebrates.
3.
Humans, mice and giraffes share a common ancestor. What trait helps scientists understand that these organisms share a common ancestor?
They are all very different in size
They all have seven vertebrae in their necks
They once had wings
They are all bipedal
They all have seven vertebrae in their necks.
A _________ is a scientist who studies fossils.
A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils.
6.
Bipedal organisms walk on four feet.
True
False
False.
Bipedal organisms walk on two feet, not four.
7.
Fossils and genes are used to determine
evolutionary relationships between organisms.
What are at least 20 things that these skulls in the fossil record likely tell us about hominin evolution?
Here are 20 things that skulls in the fossil record can tell us about hominin evolution:
1. The skull shape can give clues about the diet of an ancient hominin.
2. The size and shape of the braincase can provide information about the intelligence of the hominin species.
3. The sagittal crest can indicate the strength of jaw muscles and biting force.
4. The position and size of the foramen magnum can indicate whether the hominin species was bipedal or not.
5. The length and shape of the face can give information about the position of the jaw and teeth, and dietary habits.
6. The shape and depth of the eye sockets can indicate visual abilities, such as binocular vision.
7. The shape and size of the nose can give information about the respiratory system and climate adaptation.
8. The presence of supraorbital ridges can indicate adaptations for heavy chewing and processing tough foods.
9. The shape and size of the dental arch can suggest which type of diet the species had.
10. The presence or absence of diastema (gap between the teeth) can indicate the type of food they ate.
11. The shape and size of the teeth can provide information about diet and lifestyle.
12. The shape of the palate can suggest the ability to produce complex vocalizations.
13. The curvature and thickness of the skull can suggest adaptations to upright posture and bipedalism.
14. The size and shape of the facial bones may suggest adaptations to climatic environments.
15. The presence and degree of sexual dimorphism can indicate differences in behavior and social organization.
16. The size and shape of the temporal region can suggest adaptations for chewing and biting.
17. The shape and size of the mandible can provide information about diet and biting force.
18. The shape and size of the zygomatic bone can give information about the strength of the masticatory muscles.
19. The size of the brain imprints can give information about the development of the brain and cognitive abilities.
20. The shape and size of the skull can suggest evolutionary relationships and speciation events.
9.
Humans, mice, and giraffes have seven vertebrae in their necks. What can scientists conclude from this observation?
The observation that humans, mice, and giraffes all have seven vertebrae in their necks suggests that these organisms share a common ancestor that also had seven neck vertebrae. This is an example of a homologous trait, which is a characteristic that is shared by different species because of their common ancestry.
10.
An example of a __________ structure in humans are wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are traits left over from our ancestors that we no longer need, as our jaws have shortened over time.
An example of a vestigial structure in humans are wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are traits left over from our ancestors that we no longer need, as our jaws have shortened over time.
11.
A common ancestor is an organism that is the __________ ancestor of two or more different organisms.
A common ancestor is an organism that is the ancestral or original form of two or more different organisms. It is an organism from which both of the descendants have evolved and diversified into different species over time.
12.
Archaeopteryx is considered to be a transitional form between dinosaurs and birds. _________ is/are a trait that is unique to both Archaeopteryx and modern birds?