Evolution
Define evolution.
Note: Evolution is the cumulative change in the heritable characteristics of a population.
If we accept not only that species can evolve, but also that new species arise by evolution
from pre-existing ones, then the whole of life can be seen as unified by its common origins.
Outline the evidence for evolution provided by the fossil record, selective breeding of
domesticated animals and homologous structures.
State that populations tend to produce more offspring than the environment can support.
Explain that the consequence of the potential overproduction of offspring is a struggle for
survival.
State that the members of a species show variation.
Explain how sexual reproduction promotes variation in a species.
Explain how natural selection leads to evolution.
Note: Greater survival and reproductive success of individuals with favourable heritable
variations can lead to change in the characteristics of a population.
Explain two examples of evolution in response to environmental change; one must
be antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Note: Other examples could include: the changes in size and shape of the beaks of
Galapagos finches; pesticide resistance, peppered moths, industrial melanism or heavymetal tolerance in plants.
Explain how humans impact variation in other species
State that evolutionary fitness is measured by reproductive success
State the 5 conditions for a population or an allele to be in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Apply the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium equation to calculate allele frequencies & make
predictions about future generations.
Explain how phenotypic variations significantly increase or decrease fitness of the organism
& the population.
State that a diverse gene pool is important for the survival of a species in a changing
environment.
Explain what influences the evolutionary process, especially in small populations.
Examples: natural selection, random events, and chance
Predict the effects of genetic drift, migration, & artificial selection on the genetic make-up of a
population.
Discuss how the molecular, morphological, & genetic information of existing & extinct
organisms help our understanding of evolution.
Classification
Outline the binomial system of nomenclature.
List seven levels in the hierarchy of taxa—kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and
species—using an example from two different kingdoms for each level.
Distinguish between the following phyla of plants, using simple external recognition features:
bryophyta, filicinophyta, coniferophyta and angiospermophyta.
Distinguish between the following phyla of animals, using simple external recognition
features: porifera, cnidaria, platyhelminthes, annelida, mollusca and arthropoda.
Apply and design a dichotomous key for a group of up to eight organisms.
Explain how structural and functional evidence supports the relatedness of all domains.
Ex: DNA & RNA are carriers of genetic information through protein synthesis &
replication. Genetic code shared by all modern living systems & metabolic pathways.
Explain how structural evidence supports the relatedness of all eukaryotes.
Note: cytoskeleton, membrane-bound organelles, linear chromosomes, endomembrane
systems.
Discuss how phylogenetic trees and cladograms can represent traits that are either derived or lost due to
evolution using an example.
EX: absence of legs in some sea mammals, opposable thumbs, number of heart chambers in animals.
Identify shared characteristics, make inferences about the evolutionary history of a group of organisms
using a phylogenetic tree or cladogram.
Design a phylogenetic tree or simple cladogram that correctly represents evolutionary history &
speciation from a provided data set.
Discuss how species extinction rates are rapid in times of ecological stress.
Ex; five major extinctions. Human impact on ecosystems.
Describe speciation in an isolated populations & connect it to change in gene frequency, change in
environment, natural selection &/or genetic drift.