ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Who are we? Where do we come from? These are two of the
biggest questions facing scientists today. This clip collection
gives a broad understanding of the multi-branched theory of
human evolution, the major geological eras in earth's history
and the various scientific methods used for fossil dating. A
great resource for viewers seeking a scientific understanding
of how Earth and its life forms evolved.
Duration of resource: 23 Minutes
Year of Production: 2013
Stock code: RLC13101000
Resource written by:
Bronwyn Moroney B.Ed, P.G. Dip.Ed
1
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
Geological Timescale (Teacher notes)
Before watching the clip, discuss with students the following terms:
• Eon (and super-eon) is the largest length of geological time. Eons are divided into eras.
• Era is a unit of geological time. This unit is important to understanding this clip. The eras are:
Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Eras are divided into periods.
• Period is a smaller measure of geological time. Periods are divided into epochs.
• Epoch is the smallest measure of geological time.
To introduce students to the clock of eras:
The clock is a chart which is an impressionistic diagram, consisting of a regular 12-hour clock divided
into coloured parts. The Clock of Eras represents the duration of time of the eras and also a scale in
terms of years. The key below the clock gives: the names and colours of the eras, and the relative and
actual durations of the eras.
Key:
Colour
Era
Relative duration
Yellow
Orange
Purple
Red
Green
Blue
Hadean
Archean
Proterozoic
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
1 hr, 52 min
3 hr, 30 min
5 hr, 4 min
47 min
37 min
10 min
Actual duration
(years)
700,000,000
1,300,000,000
2,000,000,000
300,000,000
200,000,000
65,000,000
This is a new type of clock. This clock tells the history of the Earth from the time it was a ball of flaming
gas up to the present. This clock is used to represent the time that has passed since the Earth was
formed, time that has already passed.
The clock hands began to move at the beginning of the formation of the Earth, about 4.6 billion years
ago. The clock represents the time the Earth has been in existence. On this clock one hour represents
roughly 375,000,000 years.
As the hands pass around the clock, they mark off the eras. Each new colour represents a new era.
The intervals show us eras when the Earth looked a certain way and certain animals and plants lived
on it. The Earth has not always looked the way it does now. The clock reminds us of how the Earth
was forming and how life was taking shape on the planet. It also puts into perspective how long
humans have existed: in relative terms, only the last seconds of the total history of the Earth.
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
Geological Timescale (Student questions)
1. Build your own glossary by writing definitions for each of the following words.
a) Adaptation
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b) Asteroid
_________________________________________________________________________________
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c) Crater
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
d) Eon
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
e) Era
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
f) Extinction
_________________________________________________________________________________
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g) Geologist
_________________________________________________________________________________
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h) Mantle
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
i) Ore
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
j) Prokaryote
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
k) Rock strata
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
l) Tectonic plates
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
5
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
2. a) The history of life on Earth began about 4.6 billion years ago. Draw a horizontal time line and
mark an appropriate scale. Mark the start of the line with ‘Archean era’ and the end with ‘present
time’. On the time line mark important events in the Earth’s history, for example: the evolution of
single-celled prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria; appearance of multicellular life; and emergence of
homo-sapiens.
b) Once you have done this, suggest a reason why the clock-style timescale is used. Do you find
the clock more useful? Explain why/why not.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. Eras are subdivided into periods. Research a particular period within one of the eras. Make
illustrations or animations to represent the periods. Present your illustration or animation to the
class, highlighting the important features of the period.
6
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
4. On the diagram of the clock annotate the eras and time frames in years in each era. Select colours
to symbolise the eras and what life was like on Earth during each era. Justify your choice of
colours.
5. Or for a mixed-ability classroom: Colour and/or cut out parts of the clock and place them in the
proper order on the template. Write in order the major events that occurred, as mentioned during
the program.
7
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
Radiocarbon and Other Dating Techniques
1. Build your own glossary by writing definitions for each of the following words.
a) Absolute dating:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
b) Fossils:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
c) Half life:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
d) Isotopes:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
e) Relative dating:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
f) Rock strata:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
g) Stratigraphic column:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
h) Transitional fossil:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
2. There are two main fossil dating techniques: relative and absolute dating. Explain the difference
between the two techniques.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. What is carbon dating?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. If I had an igneous rock of between 100,000 to 4,000,000,000 years old, what method would I use
to determine a more precise age?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
5. If I needed to accurately determine the age of a hominid fossil from East Africa, what would be the
most useful dating method?
_________________________________________________________________________________
6. What technique would be used to date the most ancient rocks on planet Earth?
_________________________________________________________________________________
10
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
7. Use research to describe diagenesis dating techniques?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
8. There are other techniques that are used to date rock and fossil samples. Use research to write a
paragraph describing one of the following techniques: obsidian hydration dating, archaemagnetic
dating, and electron spin resonance (ESR).
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
The Hominid Chronology
Species covered in the clip:
Australopithecus genus
Anamensis
Afarensis
Africanus
Homo genus
Habilis
Erectus
Heidelbergensis
Sapiens
Neanderthalensis
Paranthropicus genus
Aethoipicus
Biosei
Robustus
1. Build your own glossary by writing definitions for each of the following words.
a) Bipedal:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
b) Cladogram:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
c) Common descent:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
d) Convergence:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
e) Divergence:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
f) Evolution:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
g) Fossil:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
h) Geneticist:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
i) Genus:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
j) Hominids:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
k) Naturalist:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
l) Species:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
m) Trait:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
14
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
2. a) What is the difference between bipedal and quadrupedal?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
b) Can you suggest a possible advantage of bipedal locomotion for the early hominids?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. Outline the trends in hominid evolution in terms of:
a) brain size
_________________________________________________________________________________
b) tooth size
_________________________________________________________________________________
c) shape of forehead
_________________________________________________________________________________
d) size of brow ridges
_________________________________________________________________________________
15
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
4. Using further research, investigate one hominid species in relation to the following:
• walking upright
• use of tools
• food
• body structure
• brains
• social organisation
• symbols and language
Using the information gathered on your chosen species, complete one of the following tasks:
• prepare a multimedia presentation about your chosen species.
• write a story depicting their life, including their interactions with animals and any other hominid
species present at the same time.
5. Investigating different theories
Over time, our theories about the human evolutionary tree have changed as new evidence has
been uncovered. Scientists still disagree on the exact descent of each species. Collect three
different variations of the evolution of humans.
a) What branches of the family tree are the same in all three of the versions you collected?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
b) Which branches show the most variation between the three versions?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
c) Why do you think scientists look at the same evidence and draw different conclusions?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
16
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
d) Pretend that you are a paleoanthropologist. What type of evidence would you like to discover
that might best help to resolve the differences between the alternative family trees?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
Suggested Student Responses
Geological Timescale
Glossary
1. Build your own glossary by writing definitions for each of the following words.
a) Adaptation
An inherited or acquired change to an organism that makes them better suited to survive
and reproduce in a particular environment
b) Asteroid
Any of numerous small rocky bodies with diameters between a few and several hundred
kilometres that revolve around the Sun, generally found between Mars and Jupiter
c) Crater
A bowl-shaped depression in a surface made by an explosion or the impact of a body,
such as a meteoroid
d) Eon
A unit of geological time; the largest length of geological time
e) Era
A unit of geological time; a sub unit of eon
f) Extinction
The termination of a species
g) Geologist
A scientist who studies the origin, history and structure of the Earth
h) Mantle
The layer of the earth between the crust and the core
i) Ore
A mineral from which a valuable component, often a metal, can be profitably mined or
extracted
j) Prokaryote
A simple single-celled organism
k) Rock strata
A layer of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition throughout
l) Tectonic plates
The theory that the Earth's lithosphere is divided into large rigid blocks or plates that are
floating on semifluid rock and are able to interact with each other at their boundaries
18
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
2. a) The history of life on Earth began about 4.6 billion years ago. Draw a horizontal time line. Mark
the start of the line with ‘Archean era’ and the end with ‘present time’. On the time line mark
important events in the Earth’s history, for example: the evolution of single-celled prokaryotic cells,
such as bacteria; appearance of multicellular life; and emergence of homo-sapiens.
Answers may vary. Suggested example of a time line.
b) Once you have done this, suggest a reason why the clock-style timescale is used. Do you find
the clock more useful? Explain why/why not.
Answers will vary but should consider the style which an individual student finds beneficial
for putting the length of time that has passed since the beginning of Earth into perspective.
3. Eras are subdivided into periods. Research a particular period within one of the eras. Make
illustrations or animations to represent the periods. Present your illustration or animation to the
class, highlighting the important features of the period.
Answers will vary according to the periods/era chosen
4. On the diagram of the clock annotate the eras and time frames in years on each segment. Select
colours to symbolise the eras and what life was like on Earth during each era. Justify your choice of
colours.
Answers will vary but one example could be: black indicates the absence of light and life,
yellow for the dawning of life, blue for water, brown for land, green for the development of
an abundance of vegetative forms and life, grey for something new.
5. Or for a mixed-ability classroom: Colour and/or cut out parts of the clock and place them in the
proper order on the template. Write in order the major events that occurred, as mentioned during
the program.
19
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
Radiocarbon and Other Dating Techniques
1. Build your own glossary by writing definitions for each of the following words.
a) Absolute dating
The process of determining the approximate age of a rock or fossil sample, usually
calculated by measuring the radioactive isotopes in the sample
b) Fossils:
Traces of animals, plants or organisms preserved in strata
c) Half life:
The time taken for half the radioactive nuclei in any sample to undergo radioactive decay
d) Isotopes:
Atoms of the same element that have differing numbers of neutrons, e.g. carbon-12 and
carbon-14
e) Relative dating:
The process of determining the sequential age of a rock or fossil sample, such as the
order in which rock layers formed.
f) Rock strata:
The layers of sedimentary rock
g) Stratigraphic column:
A representation of geologic sequence; information is arranged with the youngest rock
unit at the top and the oldest rock unit at the bottom
h) Transitional fossil:
The fossilised remains of a life form that exhibits traits common to both its ancestors and
its descendants
20
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
2. There are two main fossil dating techniques: relative and absolute dating. Explain the difference
between the two techniques. Give examples of each technique.
Relative dating: involves determining the sequential order in which a series of past events
occurred but not the actual age in years of any fossil or rock sample. It includes comparing
rock strata and tree rings (dendrochronology).
Absolute dating: calculates the (approximate) age in years of the rock or fossil sample. For
example, radiocarbon dating and uranium-lead dating.
3. What is radiocarbon dating?
Radiocarbon dating is the commonly known method of absolute dating and is used to date
organic remains up to 50,000 years old. It involves measuring the decay of carbon-14.
4. If I had an igneous rock of between 100,000 to 4,000,000,000 years old, what method would I use
to determine a more precise age?
Uranium-lead dating
5. If I needed to accurately determine the age of a hominid from East Africa, what would be the most
useful dating method?
Potassium-argon dating
6. What technique would be used to date the most ancient rocks on planet Earth?
Rubidium-strontium dating
7. Use research to describe diagenesis dating techniques?
The use of various protein and amino acid processes as a means of assigning relative ages
to various sample materials including bone, shell and teeth. Bones, teeth and shells break
down after death and decompose. The amino acids L and D forms are measured for
changes. Their ratios alter, which gives an indication of age.
8. There are other techniques that are used to date rock and fossil samples. Use research to write a
paragraph on one of the following techniques: obsidian hydration dating, archaemagnetic dating,
and electron spin resonance.
Answers will vary depending on the technique chosen. The following is a short explanation
of each technique.
a) obsidian hydration dating
Obsidian hydration dating (OHD) is a geochemical method of determining age in either
absolute or relative terms of an artifact made of obsidian, a volcanic glass.
b) archaemagnetic dating
Archaeomagnetic dating uses the ability of certain materials to record the Earth's
magnetic field (geomagnetic field) to provide a date. The Earth's field changes in intensity
and direction over time. Magnetism recorded within an archaeological material is
compared with a record of the changes in the Earth's ancient magnetic field.
c) electron spin resonance (ESR)
Electron Spin Resonance measures the trapped electrons in fossils. They accumulate in
crystalline rocks as a result of low-level natural radioactivity occurring at fossil sites.
Measuring current radioactivity levels in soils around fossil sites and comparing them
with ESR measurements of fossil material is a highly accurate dating method.
21
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
The Hominid Chronology
Species covered in the clip:
Australopithecus genus
Anamensis
Afarensis
Africanus
Homo genus
Habilis
Erectus
Heidelbergensis
Sapiens
Neanderthalensis
Paranthropicus genus
Aethoipicus
Biosei
Robustus
1. Build your own glossary by writing definitions for each of the following words.
a) Bipedal:
Walking on two feet
b) Cladogram:
A branching diagram showing species divergence from common ancestral lines
c) Common descent:
The lineage of species that have a common ancestor
d) Convergence:
The independent development of similar traits in otherwise unrelated species
e) Divergence:
The formation of new species, usually by the division of a single species into two or more
genetically distinct ones
f) Evolution:
Evolution is change in the properties of populations of organisms as seen over time
g) Fossil:
Traces of animals, plants or organisms preserved in rock strata
h) Geneticist
A scientist who studies genes and inheritance
i) Genus
A taxonomic category below family and above species; a group of organisms with similar
characteristics
j) Hominids:
Any member of a family of erect bipedal primate mammals that includes recent humans
together with extinct ancestors
k) Naturalist:
A person who observes plants and animals in their natural environment, including their
behaviours, interactions and evolution
22
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
l) Species
A taxonomic category below genus, consisting of organisms that can interbreed
e) Trait:
An inherited characteristic
2. a) What is the difference between bipedal and quadrupedal?
Bipedal means walking upright on 2 legs. Quadrupedal means walking on 4 legs.
b) Can you suggest possible advantages of bipedal locomotion for the early hominids?
Answers will vary but may include: Walking erect has the advantage of increasing the eye
level of a hominid above the ground so that potential predators are more easily seen. A
bipedal position, in contrast to a quadrupedal position, is also more efficient in keeping the
body and the head cool during activity in the hot dry daylight hours in open habitats in the
tropics. The bipedal, upright position might have been useful for intimidating rivals.
3. Outline the trends in hominid evolution in terms of:
a) brain size
Brain size has increased
b) tooth size
Tooth size has decreased
c) shape of forehead
Shape of forehead has become more vertical
d) size of brow ridges
Size of brow ridges has decreased
23
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Evolutionary Biology Essentials
4. Using further research, investigate one hominid species in relation to the following:
• walking upright
• use of tools
• food
• body structure
• brains
• social organisation
• symbols and language
Using the information gathered on your chosen species, complete one of the following tasks:
• prepare a multimedia presentation about your chosen species, or
• write a story depicting their life, including their interactions with animals and any other hominid
species present at the same time.
Answers will vary depending on the task and species selected.
5. Investigating different theories
Over time, our theories about the human evolutionary tree have changed as new evidence has
been uncovered. Scientists still disagree on the exact descent of each species. Collect three
different variations of the evolution of humans.
a)
b)
c)
d)
What branches of the family tree are the same in all three of the versions you collected?
Which branches show the most variation between the three versions?
Why do you think scientists look at the same evidence and draw different conclusions?
Pretend that you are a paleoanthropologist. What type of evidence would you like to discover
that might best help to resolve the differences between the alternative family trees?
Answers will vary.
24
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You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website or ClickView for your reference.
Further copying or printing must be reported to CAL as per the Copyright Act 1968.