Name:____________________________________________ Date:_________________ Period:______
Extinction!
Standards Addressed: 8a, 8b, 8c, 8e. IE 1f, 1g.
Objectives:
 Understand that any given species undergoes changes over time.
 Understand that evolution is supported by an abundance of fossil evidence.
 Understand why evolution is a theory, and how it is in constant flux based on current evidence.
 Understand that extinction is a natural phenomenon and occurs with and without assistance from
mankind.
Short Answer: Write on Separate Sheet Please.
1. _____ to _____% of all species that have lived on this planet have become extinct.
2. On the average, a species dies out after _____ million years on earth.
3. How does a "house of cards" compare to the interactions of species in an ecosystem?
4. _____% of species present during the Permian survived into the Triassic.
5. Expeditions into the Gobi desert have revealed fossils of early _______________ that lived during the
same time as the dinosaurs.
6. It is thought that an asteroid collision caused the extinction of the dinosaurs __________million years
ago, but the __________survived!
7. Why did mammals thrive after the K-T event?
8. When and where did the first human-like primates emerge?
9. Today, the rate of extinction is ________ times greater than it has ever been.
10. What do scientists think will cause, or is causing, the 6th great extinction on Earth? Explain.
11. Abundant sign of large _________________ indicates a relatively healthy ecosystem.
12. One hundred pounds of ________________ will sustain _______ pounds of herbivores. Ten pounds of
herbivore will sustain ________ pounds of carnivore.
Longer Answers: Also on Separate Sheet Please.
13. What is the #1 cause of extinction today?
14. What is the #2 cause of extinction today?
15. What is the ratio of native species to invasive species in the Hawaiian Islands today?
16. What is an invasive (a.k.a. “weed”) species? Why are they so harmful?
17. Describe the problems associated with "leafy spurge" in North Dakota.
18. How are we combating "leafy spurge"?
19. What is "our greatest tool" against extinction?