Unit 5: Evolution
Standard
Standard 3, Benchmark 9: Evolution occurs as the heritable characteristics of populations change across generations and can lead populations to become better adapted to their environment
Evidence Outcomes of Mastery
· Summarize Mendel’s conclusions and exceptions to his principles
· Summarize Darwin’s idea of natural selection in terms of inherited variations and fitness in an environment
· Understand evidence used to support life forms evolved from common ancestors such as molecular studies, comparative anatomy, biogeography, fossil record, and embryology
· Know the two main sources of genetic variation and the role the sources play in evolution
· Understand how evolution is driven by three key components of natural selection: heritability, genetic variation, and differential survival and reproduction
· Compare and contrast polygenic and single gene traits
· Understand importance of speciation in evolution and ways that speciation can occur
· Understand how fossils form and be able to interpret fossil evidence as it applies to the theory of evolution
· Understand the patterns in evolution (i.e. mass extinction, adaptive radiation, co-evolution, convergent evolution, gradualism and punctuated equilibrium) and how they are used to explain changes taking place over long periods of time
· Compare and contrast traditional classification tools (i.e. morphology) to modern evolutionary classification tools (cladograms, DNA/RNA, etc.)
· Understand classifying organisms based on Domain system