Organic Evolution!

Worksheet for Evolution: Great Transformations video!

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Evolution: Great Transformations video

You are responsible for answers to the questions highlighted below. You will use them to answer questions on BB Learn worth 10 points toward your nal grade. The format of these questions will be similar to the questions in the exam. What is a Great [evolutionary] transformation?

Focus on 3 great transformations: A. Evolution of whales B. Evolution of Tetrapods C. Evolution of Animal Body plans

A. Evolution of Whales Why is the evolution of whales puzzling?

One early, important fossil nd (in Pakistan in the 1980s) was the wolf-like skull of a terrestrial organism. Why was this fossil important to the study of whale evolution?

What was Darwins hypothesis about whale evolution?

Seeking transitional forms What transition was Gingerich seeking to document in the Sahara?

Organic Evolution!

Worksheet for Evolution: Great Transformations video!

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What types of organisms did he expect to nd if Darwins hypothesis was correct?

Why did Gingerich seek transitional forms in a particular part of the Sahara Desert? (The geologic history of this area is the key)

What did Gingerich discover about Basilosaurus which was not previously known?

What were the 3 major changes in body plan in the transition series leading to whales?

B. Evolution of Tetrapods Life evolved in the sea. This section concerns how, where and when the transition to land began. The focus is on tetrapod evolution. Tetrapods are animals with 4 limbs (e.g., amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals). The presence of 4 limbs in all of these organisms suggests an early common ancestor with 4 limbs. Why did the fossil of an aquatic animal with a tetrapod shoulder contradict old hypotheses about tetrapod evolution?

What new hypothesis about tetrapod evolution did Clack propose?

Organic Evolution!

Worksheet for Evolution: Great Transformations video!

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Clack discovered the most complete tetrapod skeleton found to date. What key features of this skeleton supported her new hypothesis?

C. Evolution of Animal Body plans What was the Cambrian explosion (570 mya)?

Genetic basis of body plan evolution Fossils record changes in animal body plans over time. This section focuses on how these changes may have occurred. Organisms show pattern of repeating segments, and there are sometimes errors or repetition of segments. Batesons early studies of body plans focused on developmental errors where body parts developed in the wrong place. What did these developmental errors suggest?

What was Lewis controversial hypothesis about body plan development?

Levine & McGinnis tested Lewis hypothesis using the Antennapedia gene in Drosophila. What did their new technique demonstrate?

Organic Evolution!

Worksheet for Evolution: Great Transformations video!

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What is the evidence for architect genes in other organisms?

What do architect genes suggest about evolution of body plans?