Evidence for Change Across Time
Name
DO NOT LOSE THIS PAPER – PUT IN A BINDER OR TAPE INTO YOUR JOURNAL
Introduction
For the next 2 weeks, you will assume the role of a specialist and work with other specialists to study the
evidence that scientists have accumulated about biological change. As you and your teammates study your
data, you will begin to see how combinations of evidence from several branches of science can support an
explanation or scientific theory. Your team of specialists will use this collection of evidence to develop a
project about the theory of evolution, which states that species have developed and diversified over time
from earlier forms. If species have diversified from earlier forms, what information would we need to know
they have changed? What might suggest current species are related to older species?
Goals
To be able to analyze evidence and data to make inferences and use them to support an idea.
To understand the evidence for change across time in populations from the perspective of many fields of science.
To be able to use the fossil record, anatomical, and molecular similarities as evidence to formulate a logical argument for the development of species.
Project Description
Throughout this project you will assume the role of the following scientists: Paleontologist, Physical
Anthropologist, Evolutionary Biologist, and Developmental Biologist. You and your team will spend a few
days as Paleontologists, a few days as Physical Anthropologists, etc… and together will conduct research and
examine evidence to compile into a PowerPoint presentation documenting your understanding of the
evidence that supports the theory of change across time. You will present to your peers.
Structure/organization
You will be keeping track of your progress through these fields in your notebook. Each activity below starts
with a topic and essential question. Record these in your notebook, complete the activity, and answer the
analysis questions in that page of your notebook under the aforementioned topic and essential question. The
answers to these questions will be your notes for the exam, so answer thoroughly in complete sentences. At
the end of each activity, see your teacher for a stamp. This will be a LARGE notebook check – be sure you
keep up! While there is some flexibility in the timeline for this activity, there will be due dates for each
section.
Focus Question: How can fossils, anatomical structures, and molecules be used as
evidence for the development of species?
Paleontologist
1. Learn about Paleontologists
 Topic: Paleontologists Essential question: What do paleontologists study, and how do they do it?
 Activity: Go to: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/paleo/paleowhat.html click around!
 Analysis questions
a. What do paleontologists study?
b. What do they attempt to answer or explain?
c. What do they actually do in their research?
2. Fossils
 Topic: Fossils Essential question: What are fossils, and how are they formed?
 Activity: read essay “Fossils: Traces of life gone by” in your text book p 102-104
 Analysis questions
a. List the various ways fossils can be formed
b. What parts of the organism are typically fossilized?
c. Observe the diagrams on page 103, and write down two observations
d. What can plate tectonics/continental drift tell us about Earth’s biological history?
 Activity: Watch the TED talk “What can fossils teach us” by Paul Sereno (http://blog.ted.com/2009/01/07/what_can_fossil/)
 Analysis questions
a. Paul Sereno works in cliffs. Why?
b. Why is data from modern organisms important when examining data from dinosaurs?
c. What caused differences between dinosaurs later in their history?
3. Radiometric dating
 Topic: radiometric dating. Essential question: How do we know how old things are?
 Activity: pennium/clipium. Conduct the activity according to the handout.
 Analysis questions -Complete the analysis questions on the half sheet. Tape the half sheet into your notebook.
 Activity: read “Technologies that strengthen fossil evidence” in your textbook p 104-107
 Analysis questions
a. Generally describe how radioactive carbon dating tells us the age of fossils
b. Explain the significance of using radioactive carbon dating
4. Strata
 Topic: Horse fossils in strata Essential question: What does the relative position of fossils tell us about their age?
 Activity: Examine the strata model (beaker) with three fossil markers (Stratigraphy is what geologists use as an
indirect method of dating rocks and fossils; it is the study of strata/layers on earth). Answer the following
questions/tasks in your journal.
 Analysis questions
a. Draw and color an exact copy of the strata and its markers in your journal.
b. Which layer of materials is the oldest (has been in the beaker the longest)?
c. If these strata were layers in the earth’s surface, what inferences might you make about the relationship
between the depth of the layer and the amount of time that has passed?
d. Consider the locations of the 3 colored markers in your drawing of the strata. Which color would you infer to
be the oldest?
e. Look at the three color-coded fossil pictures and list three similarities (similar traits) between the fossils.
f. Look at the three color-coded fossil pictures and list three differences between the fossils.
g. Look at the colored markers in the strata and on the fossil diagrams. What can you infer about their relative
ages?

Activity: Read the handout “history of the horse”

Analysis questions.
a. Use evidence from the reading and from the pictures of the fossils to describe how the horse has changed
over time. Include at least five pieces of evidence in your explanation.
5. Use all the research compiled in the steps above to discuss what the field of Paleontology has taught you. See project
rubric and address rubric points by creating 1-2 slides to teach the class the evidence that living things share
common characteristics but have changed across time. Be sure to include images on your slides to engage your
audience.
6. Find a primary resource (scientific journal, magazine, published book, online article from a newspaper, etc) written
within the last decade that discusses new research in the field of Paleontology. Include in your presentation ONE
slide that discusses what the article taught you (4 ideas) and include an image to supplement your list of ideas.
Evolutionary Biologist
1. Learn about Evolutionary biologists
 Topic: Evolutionary Biologists Essential question: What do evolutionary biologists study, and how do they do it?
 Activity: Visit http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-evolutionary-biology.htm#didyouknowout and
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/what-do-evolutionary-biol_b_3644482.html
 Analysis questions
a. What do evolutionary biologists study?
b. What do they attempt to answer or explain?
c. What do they actually do in their research?
2. Homologous structures
 Topic: homologous structures Essential question: what do homologous structures tell us about the relationship
between organisms?
 Activity: Chicken wing dissection – follow the directions on the hand out
 Analysis questions:
a. Manipulate individual muscles in the chicken wing to move it, and move your arm. Compare the way the chicken
wing moves and the way your arm moves.
b. Compare the way the chicken bones fit together and the way your arm bones fit together.
 Activity: Forelimb similarities.
 Analysis questions - Complete the analysis questions on the half sheet. Tape the half sheet into your notebook
3. Vestigial structures
 Topic Vestigial structures Essential question: what do vestigial structures tell us about the relationship between
organisms?
 Activity: observe the handout showing human vestigial structures
 Analysis questions: Using the information on the handout, copy and fill out the following table in your journal for 4 of
the 6 organs.
Vestigial Organ
Original Purpose
Why we no longer
Another animal’s
of Organ (described
need this organ
use for this organ
or inferred)


Activity: Read the essay “Modern life: evidence for evolutionary change” on p 107-109 of your text book
Analysis questions
a.
By comparing the anatomy of different organisms, scientists have noted similarities in structure. Patterns of
similar characteristics may suggest what?
b.
Describe the word vestige.
c.
How are goose bumps vestigial in humans?
d.
How do birds use these muscles (goose bumps)?
e.
Can DNA be transferred from one organism to another and be functional? Explain why or why not.
f.
How does this [similar DNA] show relatedness between organisms?
4. Divergent and convergent evolution
 Topic: divergent and convergent evolution Essential question: Do different organisms take the same paths to similar
adaptations?
 Activity: Divergent and convergent evolution
 Analysis questions: complete the questions on the half sheet
5. Use all the research compiled in the steps above to discuss what the field of Evolutionary Biology has taught you. See project
rubric and address rubric points by creating 1-2 slides to teach the class the evidence that living things share common
characteristics but have changed across time. Be sure to include images on your slides to engage your audience.
6. Find a primary resource (scientific journal, magazine, published book, online article from a newspaper, etc) written within
the last decade that discusses new research in the field of Evolutionary Biology. Include in your presentation ONE slide that
discusses what the article taught you (4 ideas) and include an image to supplement your list of ideas.
Developmental Biologist
1. Learn about Developmental biologists
 Topic: Developmental Biologists Essential question: What do developmental biologists study, and how do they
do it?
 Activity: visit http://devbio.stanford.edu/about/
 Analysis questions
a. What do developmental biologists study?
b. What do they attempt to answer or explain?
c. What do they actually do in their research?
2. DNA comparisons
 Topic: Comparing DNA Essential question: What does DNA tell us about the relationship between organisms?
 Activity: DNA comparison
 Analysis questions
a. Choose five different pairs of animals that you think are closely related. Count the number of amino acids their
hemoglobin proteins have in common. Record the pairs and the degree of similarity.
b. Convert the number of pairs into percent similarity by dividing by the total number of amino acids.
c. Based on your analysis above, which of the mammals are most closely related? Answer the question with a claim,
include evidence, and provide justification of the evidence. THIS SHOULD BE A PARAGRAPH.
3. Embryology
 Topic: Embryology Essential question: What do embryos tell us about the relationship between organisms?
 Activity: Embryology puzzle – complete the puzzle!
 Analysis questions
a. In general, which organisms have embryonic stages that are the most similar? Explain your answer.
b. In general, which organisms have embryonic stages that are the least similar? Explain your answer.
c. What do you think these similarities and differences tell scientists about how these organisms have changed
across time and how they are related? (Would you expect related organisms to go through similar stages of
development? Do more closely related organisms look more or less similar?)
 Activity: Human vs zebrafish development
 Analysis questions – answer the questions on the handout in your notebook
4. Use all the research compiled in the steps above to discuss what the field of Developmental Biology has taught you. See
project rubric and address rubric points by creating 1-2 slides to teach the class the evidence that living things share common
characteristics but have changed across time. Be sure to include images on your slides to engage your audience.
5. Find a primary resource (scientific journal, magazine, published book, online article from a newspaper, etc) written within
the last decade that discusses new research in the field of Developmental Biology. Include in your presentation ONE slide that
discusses what the article taught you (4 ideas) and include an image to supplement your list of ideas.
Physical anthropologist
1. Learn about Physical anthropologists
 Topic: Physical anthropologists Essential question: What do physical anthropologists study, and how do they do
it?
 Activity: visit http://anthro.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/sub-fields/physical-anthro.html
 Analysis questions
a. What do developmental biologists study?
b. What do they attempt to answer or explain?
c. What do they actually do in their research?
2. Mystery bones
 Topic: Mystery bones Essential question: Are the mystery bones from a human, a chip, or something else?
 Activity: Mystery bones – observe the pictures of the bones
 Analysis questions
a. Compare the mystery bones to the human and chimpanzee bones. Make a table (example below) to show whether
each mystery bone is more like the human bone or the chimpanzee bone. Explain how it is more similar.
More like Chimpanzee? How?
a.
Mystery Bone
More like human? How?
Based on your observations, write a hypothesis for how the mystery fossil bones might be related to humans
and/or to chimpanzees.
 Activity: Read about Lucy on page 36-37 in your text book (Digging up the past box)
 Analysis questions: answer question 1 and 2 on page 37 in your text book
 Activity: Watch the TED talk “The search for humanity” by Zeresenay Alemseged
 Analysis questions
a. Who is Selam? When did she live? Where did she live? How old was she when she died?
b. How is Selam more like a human? How is Selam more like a chimp?
c. Why is it important to make observations of both adult and child specimens?
3. Primates show change across time
 Topic: Primates show change across time Essential question: What does observing fossils of primates and hominids
tell us about our history?
 Activity: Observe hominid skulls
 Analysis questions: Create a data table using the Hominid timeline provided to you to infer relative “ages” of each
species. Then when all hominids are listed chronologically, collect data on the following features of each hominid
skull. When finished, observe the data for trends.
a. Size of lower jaw
b. Prominence of brow ridges
c. Slope of face
d. Width of face
e. Size of forehead
f. Volume of brain case
g. Size of molars
h. Summarize. Below your data table, summarize the pattern of changes that you observe in hominid skulls from
Australopithecus africanus to Homo sapiens sapiens.
 Activity: Read “Primates show change across time” in your textbook p 110-111
 Analysis questions:
a. What evidence did you find in the essay and in your observations of the hominid skulls that indicates change
between early and modern hominids?
b. What evidence indicates relatedness between early and modern hominids?
4. Use all the research compiled in the steps above to discuss what the field of Physical Anthropology has taught you. See
project rubric and address rubric points by creating 1-2 slides to teach the class the evidence that living things share common
characteristics but have changed across time. Be sure to include images on your slides to engage your audience.
5. . Find a primary resource (scientific journal, magazine, published book, online article from a newspaper, etc) written within
the last decade that discusses new research in the field of Physical Anthropology. Include in your presentation ONE slide that
discusses what the article taught you (4 ideas) and include an image to supplement your list of ideas.
End Products:
 A PowerPoint or google slides (NOT prezi) presentation, 12 slides maximum, teaching the class about the
evidence you have examined from all 4 branches of biology that, using the fossil record, anatomical, and
molecular similarities, gives a logical argument for the development of species over time.
 This will be emailed to bmckay@everettsd.org by the group’s Presentation Manager by 11:59pm on the day it is
due (the night before presentations day).
 A self and peer evaluation (pie chart and comments for individual contributions)
 Notes on peer presentations
How your grade is determined:
 On the day of presentations, you will choose from a figurative “hat” the one topic (branch of science) you will
present to the class. This means that you must submit an entire presentation, but you only present one of the 4
sections of your powerpoint.
 This is a self-directed group project, and therefore will earn a shared grade for the presentation.
 You will complete a self-evaluation and peer-evaluation at the end of the project for both you and your group
members in order to determine final individual project grades.
SCORING RUBRIC
This can be found online, linked to the same day as the project description. Please print out enough for your group members.