Lab and Quiz on Evidence of Evolution

Today in class we continued our study and investigation of Evolution. We spent today learning about connections in evolution through molecular biology and DNA. Mr. Quick provided us with beads meant to represent the different nitrogen bases in DNA (A,T,C,G). With these, we made long strands of "DNA" and used them to compare the similarities and differences with the various species.

We recreated the "DNA" of humans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and apes. The lab first asked us to form 3 different hypotheses on how we could most closely relate all of the species together. We formed hypotheses based on ideas of biogeography, biochemistry, and the similar anatomy and structures of the animals we were investigating. After we finished making the sequences, we looked at the codes to note the variations and overlap. Mr. Quick then asked us to construct a cladogram using the 5 species. From the data we collected with the beads, we found the most accurate cladogram representing them. 

Quiz:

1. The picture shows gradual change over time to show evolution. All of the animals have similar structures and anatomy and show differences over time. It shows how the species, for some reason or another, had a need to become aquatic and over time, was naturally selected and had it's mutations passed down to eventually evolve the population.

2. North America

3. They come from convergent evolution and have analogous structures because they come from different ancestors. Even though the actual limbs are very similar and seem to perform the same functions, they are from different common ancestors.

4. In the common descent lab, we strung together different types of beads representing DNA codes. When looking at the cladogram for primates to humans, and examining the strings of beads, the two matched up identically showing the similarities between each other. For example, humans didn't evolve from apes, yet they have common ancestry. The beads showed how nearly identical our DNA/gene codes were between the species of animals.

5. Homologous structures are ones that are very similar in anatomy and are inherited from a common ancestor. Examples of this are shown in the wing of a bat and the wing of a bird. The limbs look almost identical, perform similar functions, and are descended from the same animal.