Macroevolution

By the time we are done with the unit you should be able to ...

• 1. Describe how natural selection provides a mechanism for evolution and how new species or variety originates through this evolutionary process.

  2. Summarize the relationships between present-day organisms and those that inhabited the Earth in the past.

  3. Interpret phylogenetic trees and makes claims about common ancestry.

  4. Explain how characteristics and trends change over time and what these mean for the organisms.

  5. Explain how the fossil record, comparative anatomy, homologous and vestigial structures, and other evidence supports the theory of evolution.

  6. Explain the patterns of evolution that give rise to new species or variety.

  7. Explain how speciation works including the types of pre & post zygotic isolation.

  8. Describe the requirements and evolutionary advantages of mass extinctions.

  9. Analyze a scientific study. Make a claim about that analysis and support it with evidence and reasoning.