Earth Space Science: 06 Geologic Time: 06.03 Origin and Evolution of Life
Assessment
Origin and Evolution of Life Activity
Introduction
A virtual tour is a way to inform someone of the facts and details about a location or object that would otherwise be inaccessible. Virtual tours can be brochures, websites, presentations, or just about anything else you can think of to introduce someone to all aspects of a topic. To get a better idea of the kind of product you can create for this activity, explore “virtual tours” in a search online.
Procedures:
Use the fossil reference charting the lesson to select an index fossil.
(Do not select paradoxes pinus; this index fossil was selected for the student example provided in the lesson.)
Research the following details about your index fossil:
list its physical characteristics
describe any known or theorized behavioral characteristics
identify the period of time in which it first appears
describe its biological evolution and phylogeny
describe the location/s where this index fossil has been found
describe any related organisms alive today and their similarities to your index fossil
describe any common ancestors and their similarities to your index fossil
at least three images (index fossil, related organisms, or common ancestors)
Create a tour of your index fossil. You can choose to present the information as a slide show, brochure, website, picture book, or any other creative format of your choice. Consult your instructor for other ideas.
Include a minimum of six discussion points, or “stops,” on your tour.
Cite your references for the information used in the tour.
Write a summary paragraph to answer the reflection questions at the end of your tour.
Reflection Questions
Explain how biological evolution is supported by the fossil record.
Why is natural selection a mechanism for biological change?
How does chemical evolution explain the origin of life on Earth?
Explain why scientific theories, such as biological and chemical evolution, represent the strongest explanation of the changes observed in the fossil record.
How can scientific theories on evolution and the fossil record change over time?
Before completing this activity, you should be able to:
analyze the scientific theory of the origin of life
identify evidence that supports the theory of evolution
After completing this activity, you should be able to:
demonstrate what you have learned about the fossil record and biological evolution
use your knowledge of the geologic time scale, evolution, and species adaptations and extinctions
Origin and Evolution of Life Activity
In this activity, you will create a virtual tour of an index fossil and its common ancestors. In your presentation, you will provide evidence of biological evolution over time by discussing the origin and similarities of your selected fossil to related species in the fossil record. Complete the Origin and Evolution of Life Activity and submit it to your instructor for grading. Review this Grading Rubric and Student Example before completing the activity.
Use this Fossil Reference Chart to select your index fossil.
06.03 Origin and Evolution of Life
Please view the Grading Rubric before beginning the assessment.
Review all parts of the lesson, including the interactives.
Complete and submit the 06.03 Origin and Evolution of Life assessment.
Origin and Evolution of Life
Imagine you are fossil hunting and you have found five fossil organisms. To learn about the fossils, you ask the following questions:
What is the history of those organisms?
Where did they live?
What did they look like when they were alive?
Do any of these organisms still live on Earth?
Scientists learn about Earth’s geological and biological history through evidence from rocks and fossils. As in a mystery novel or TV show, events leave clues. People find the clues and use them to figure out what happened. Unfortunately, some of the clues are difficult to interpret.
Our ability to understand Earth’s past is hindered by difficulties interpreting the fossil record. Use the following activity to see if you can interpret information about the five fossils you found:
The fossil record is the collective remnants of life from the distant past. Each fossil tells a story. The scientists who study fossils and construct their stories are called paleontologists. Often, scientists interpret evidence differently.
Use the following activity to investigate how hypotheses about fossils can differ:
Fossils form only when the conditions are right. Though many think of a fossil as an imprint on a rock, fossils can be any trace of life from the past. For instance, a fossil can be an underground burrow that hints at how the animal that once lived there functioned on a daily basis.
Use the following activity to review what you learned in this lesson about the different types of fossils.
Scientists know that life has changed and evolved over time based on evidence. Observe the following two images.
Photographs showing two different shells. The first shell is symmetrical and brown; the second shell is more symmetrical and gray; Both shells are approximately 3 centimeters long.
Public Domain
Do these two images show the same type of organism?
Answer: These organisms may appear similar, but they are actually very different. The left image is of a brachiopod, similar to the one shown at the beginning of the lesson. The second image is of a modern bivalve mollusk. Though related, the organisms are very different.
Scientists must be able to interpret the similarities and differences among living and fossil organisms by more than sight alone. There are multiple methods for determining the relationships between fossils, Earth’s history, and biological evolution. In the following activity, you will investigate the methods used to determine these relationships:
Once a scientist has some ideas about how a fossil formed, he or she may be able to hypothesize about the origin of that group of plants or animals. Read the sentence below:
THS SNTNCE SHLD HV VWLS.
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Earth Space Science: 06 Geologic Time: 06.03 Origin and Evolution of Life
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