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5.1 Evidence for evolution

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Description

Nature of science:
Looking for patterns, trends and discrepancies—there are common features in the bone structure of vertebrate limbs despite their varied use. (3.1)
Understandings:
  • Evolution occurs when heritable characteristics of a species change.
  • The fossil record provides evidence for evolution.
  • Selective breeding of domesticated animals shows that artificial selection can cause evolution.
  • Evolution of homologous structures by adaptive radiation explains similarities in structure when there are differences in function.
  • Populations of a species can gradually diverge into separate species by evolution.
  • Continuous variation across the geographical range of related populations matches the concept of gradual divergence.
Applications and skills:
  • Application: Development of melanistic insects in polluted areas.
  • Application: Comparison of the pentadactyl limb of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles with different methods of locomotion.
 Theory of knowledge:
  • Evolutionary history is an especially challenging area of science because experiments cannot be performed to establish past events or their causes. There are nonetheless scientific methods of establishing beyond reasonable doubt what happened in some cases. How do these methods compare to those used by historians to reconstruct the past?
Utilization:
Syllabus and cross-curricular links:
Physics
Topic 7.1 Discrete energy and radioactivity
Geography
Part 1.3 Patterns in environmental quality and sustainability/Biodiversity and change
Environmental systems and societies
Topic 4 Biodiversity in ecosystems

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