Question

identify familiar science words
highlight or circle the terms you think you can define correctly
experience 1

• species
• natural selection
• adaptation
• suppression

experience 2

• fossil record
• extinction
• chronological

experience 3

• anatomical
• homologous structures

share with a partner turn to a partner and compare your lists. if you have some of the same terms highlighted or circled, discuss the definitions with your partner. are they the same? if not, work with each other and a reference source, such as a dictionary, to resolve any disagreements.
draw a picture choose two familiar vocabulary terms and use the space on this page to draw a picture of each. label each drawing with the vocabulary term it illustrates.

Explanation:

This activity focuses on recognizing and defining key evolutionary biology terms. Below are clear definitions of each term, followed by examples for the drawing task:

1. species: A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
2. adaptation: A trait that helps an organism survive/reproduce in its environment.
3. natural selection: Process where organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce more.
4. suppression: Stopping or reducing a biological process/trait.
5. fossil record: All preserved fossils that show Earth's life history.
6. chronological: Arranged in the order of time events occurred.
7. extinction: When all members of a species die out.
8. anatomical: Relating to the structure of organisms.
9. homologous structures: Similar body parts in different species from a common ancestor.

For the drawing task, two accessible options are:

• Adaptation: Draw a desert fox with large ears (to release heat, an adaptation to hot environments) and label it.
• Homologous structures: Draw the forelimb of a human, bat, and whale, showing the similar bone structure (humerus, radius, ulna, carpals) and label the set as "homologous structures".

Answer:

Defined Terms:

• species: A group of interbreeding fertile organisms
• adaptation: Survival-enhancing inherited trait
• natural selection: Survival of fittest traits
• suppression: Reducing/stopping biological function
• fossil record: Preserved fossils tracing life history
• chronological: Ordered by time sequence
• extinction: Permanent loss of a species
• anatomical: Related to organism body structure
• homologous structures: Shared ancestor-derived similar body parts

Drawing Task Examples:

1. Drawing: A cactus with thick, waxy skin and spines; Label: adaptation
2. Drawing: Human arm, bat wing, whale flipper showing matching bone layouts; Label: homologous structures