THE EVOLUTION/ADAPTATION ESSAY MUST:
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be in the FHS Essay Format
Introduction - Topic Sentence
Summarize Activity
i.e. recount the Scenario
Identify the most important characteristics related to your specific Biome
survivability.
Categorize your traits as either helpful or harmful
CD - Concrete Details (Facts)
Identify each trait or adaptation.
example - The animal has a genetic trait for long claws.
CM - Commentary (Opinion or your experience)
How does it increase or decrease your animals chance of survival (the # of
CM's are left to your own judgment, however you must be very convincing in
your presentation.)
example - The long claws are an important factor in increasing my animals'
chances for survival because the claws enable it to climb trees and kill prey
effortlessly.
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be 4-8 pages in length
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include answers to the following questions about your specific animal
What traits does your species have?
What does the trait do?
How could it help an animal survive in your particular biome?
How could it be harmful to an animals' survival in your particular biome?
What is this species’ wild habitat (e.g., desert, tropical rainforest, cover,
moisture, concealment/camouflage options, temperature ranges, and
barriers from conspecifics)? (If specific information on a particular species
is unknown, provide information on closely related species/genus/family.)
How does the animal in the wild behave in response to changes in
temperature and weather?
What temperature/humidity range does it experience in the wild?
What are some self-maintenance/comfort behaviors (e.g., preening,
grooming, bathing, dust-bathing, wallowing, sunning, and panting)?
Is there a seasonal molt/shed?
When is it most active (diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular)? Why (e.g.,
predator avoidance)?
Does the activity pattern change seasonally?
Does the species in the wild inhabit primarily arboreal, terrestrial or aquatic
environments or does it switch between them at times?
What are the main threats to the animal in the wild?
What is it likely to be afraid of (e.g., conspecifics, humans)?
What different types of predators does it have to look out for in the wild?
Are there any anti-predator behaviors (e.g., broken-wing display)?
Where and how does the animal seek refuge in the wild from fearful
situations (e.g., loud noises like thunder)?
What does fearful behaviors look like?
What are its primary sensory modalities (e.g., sight, smell, sound) for
communicating with conspecifics, detecting predators and for finding food,
mates, or other social partners?
What is the social structure of this species (e.g., solitary, dyads, "harem,"
colonial, leks, polyandry)?
What is the average/typical group size?
What is the average distance between social group members and from
neighboring conspecifics?
Describe the primary social behaviors of this species (e.g., aggression,
courtship, affiliative, play).
Does the social structure change seasonally or throughout the animal’s life
(e.g., juvenile versus adult, bachelor groups)?
Does this animal defend territories?
Does it maintain a home range?
What is the size of the home range/territory?
Does this species migrate seasonally?
Are the animals' enemies consist of interspecific (outside its' species),
intraspecific (within its' own species) competitors or both?
How does the animal advertise its home range or territory (e.g., scent
marking, song)?
How does the animal attract a mate (e.g., displays, scent marks)?
Who displays?
Is there dimorphism?(visible differences between males and females e.g.
peacocks & lions vs. wolves & snakes)
During what time of the year does the animal birth its' young?
How long a gestation period does the animal have?
How many offspring are usually produced per pregnancy?
Where does the animal raise young (nest location/type, den)?
What materials does it use to build nests/prepare dens?
Are both sexes involved in rearing young?
Are the young precocial or altricial?
How are the young fed?
How does the animal locomote through its habitat? (e.g., swim, walk, climb,
fly)
What is the animal’s diet type [e.g., omnivore, carnivore, invertebrate eater
(terrestrial, aquatic), vertebrate eater (consumer or predator of herbivorous
vertebrates), piscivorous (fish eater, ovivorous (egg eater)herbivore,
insectivore(nectar feeder), arboreal(tree) folivore (leaf eater), frugivore(fruit
eater), gumivore, spermivore (seed eater), fungivore (fungus feeder), aquatic
herbivore, sap feeder, root feeder, bark/cambium/bole feeder,
flower/bud/catkin feeder or a carrion feeder, cannibalistic perhaps even
coprophagous (feeds on fecal material)] in the wild?
Is it a browser (leaf, stem eater) or grazer (grass, forb eater)?
Does diet change seasonally?
By age?
What does the animal feed on in the wild?
What variety of food does it need to eat?
What behaviors does it use to locate and procure the different types of food it
needs?
Does it use tools to obtain food?
Store/cache food?
Where does the animal sleep or rest?
Does that change seasonally?
What is the size and weight of the species? (e.g. height, length, weight, tail
length, horn length, height to shoulder)
What is the lifespan of the animal?
When does it reach sexual maturity?
What kind of weapons does your animal possess?
What kind of stealth does your animal possess?
Does your animal have good eyesight?
Any other considerations?
Biome Fact List
How many seasons does your biome experience?
Is there annual variation in your biomes' weather?
Is there annual variation in your biomes' day length? If so, how much? When
is the peak?
What is the annual average moisture of your biome? (e.g. snowfall &
rainfall)
Is there annual variation in your biomes' rainfall? If so, how much? When is
the peak?
What is the annual average temperature of your biome?
Is there annual variation in your biomes' temperature? If so, how much?
When is the peak?
Does this biome have potential for overcrowding? (e.g. competition for food
sources )
How many lakes are rivers exist in your biome?
How many mountains exist in your biome?
Are there any barriers in your biome that would impede your animal’s
movement?
What are the potential toxins that exist in your animal’s biome?
What are the potential mutagens that exist in your biome? Are they
significant to effect the DNA of your animal?
What kind of diversity of animal life exists in your biome?
Animal Fact List
List the different types of animals found in your biome. (the sizes are all
relative to each other)
Five mammals (small, medium & large)
Five reptiles (small, medium & large)
Five birds (small, medium & large)
Five amphibians (small, medium & large)
Five fish (small, medium & large)
Five insects (small, medium & large)
Plant Fact List
When is the sprouting season of the plants in your biome? (e.g. spring,
summer, fall, winter)
When is the flowering season of the plants in your biome? (e.g. spring,
summer, fall, winter)
When is the seed season of the plants in your biome? (e.g. spring, summer,
fall, winter)
What is the evaporation rate of the plants in your biome?
How much moisture is necessary before sprouting occurs?
What temperature is necessary before sprouting occurs?
How much water is lost through evaporation?
What is the maximum size of the plant?
What is the lifespan of the plant?
Is the plant gender specific? (e.g. asexual, male, female, both)
How many seeds does the plant produce? (e.g. sticky, dropping, drifting or
fruit)
What type of structure does the plant have? (e.g. tree, shrub, grass or
floating)
Does the plant produce nectar?
Is the plant deciduous or evergreen?
Evolution Adaptation Rubric
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4
Decidedly Above
Standard
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3
Slightly Above
Standard
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2
Meets Standard
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1
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Below Standard
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Clearly shows the inter-relationship of the environment
to the survival fitness of the organism.
Clearly shows a recognition that an adaptation can be
physical and behavioral.
Vocabulary is always used appropriately and terms are
always correctly defined.
Demonstrates high level of critical thinking in justifying
traits and its adaptive value
Shows recognition of the environment and its importance
to the survival fitness of the organism.
Shows recognition that an adaptation can be physical and
behavioral.
Vocabulary, grammar & spelling are always used
appropriately and terms are always correctly defined.
Demonstrates an appropriate level of critical thinking in
justify traits and its adaptive value.
Shows recognition of the environment and its importance
to the survival fitness of the organism
Vocabulary, grammar & spelling is generally used
appropriately and terms are always correctly defined
Demonstrates a satisfactory level of critical thinking in
justify traits and their adaptive value
Shows recognition of the environment and its importance
to the survival fitness of the organism
Many vocabularies are used inappropriately and many
terms are incorrectly defined.
Demonstrates an inappropriate level of critical thinking
in justify traits and their adaptive value