Standard V - Evolution

Relate principles of evolution to biological diversity.

a) Describe the effects of environmental factors on natural selection.

b) Relate genetic variability to a species' potential for adaptation to a changing environment.

c) Relate reproductive isolation to speciation.

d) Compare selective breeding to natural selection and relate the differences to agricultural practices.

Cite evidence for changes in populations over time and use concepts of evolution to explain these changes.

a) Cite evidence that supports biological evolution over time (e.g., geologic and fossil records, chemical mechanisms, DNA structural similarities, homologous and vestigial structures).

b) Identify the role of mutation and recombination in evolution.

c) Relate the nature of science to the historical development of the theory of evolution.

d) Distinguish between observations and inferences in making interpretations related to evolution (e.g., observed similarities and differences in the beaks of Galapagos finches leads to the inference that they evolved from a common ancestor; observed similarities and differences in the structures of birds and reptiles leads to the inference that birds evolved from reptiles).

e) Review a scientific article and identify the research methods used to gather evidence that documents the evolution of a species.

Classify organisms into a hierarchy of groups based on similarities that reflect their evolutionary relationships.

a) Classify organisms using a classification tool such as a key or field guide.

b) Generalize criteria used for classification of organisms (e.g., dichotomy, structure, broad to specific).

c) Explain how evolutionary relationships are related to classification systems.

d) Justify the ongoing changes to classification schemes used in biology.