Learning from the Fossil Record
Grade 8 Science
Name: Jack Mohen
Date: 5/12/11
Related Organisms Web Quest
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click on link http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/Trex/index.html
Click on Student Start
Follow the directions to go through the web quest.
During or when finished with the web quest complete Parts A, B, and C below.
PART A
1. What is a cladogram?
A chart used to show the relationship between living things
2. Draw a cladogram with a frog, cow and horse correctly placed.
The frog is related to the horse more than the cow
3. Please circle the answer that best completes this statement: A "common ancestor" is:
a. one that is very commonly seen in the fossil record.
b. one that is shared by two or more organisms.
c. one that has no distinguishing features and is therefore very "common."
4. Read the following statements then answer the question below.
A. All organisms inherit their features from their ancestors.
B. Organisms resemble their most recent ancestors more closely than distant ancestors.
C. Over time evolution occurs and new features appear.
Which of these statements are accurate?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A and C.
B and C.
All of the above.
None of the above.
5. Examine the following diagram and the statements that follow.
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Learning from the Fossil Record
Grade 8 Science
Name: Jack Mohen
Date: 5/12/11
Statements:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Crocodiles are more closely related to squirrels than to frippities.
Frippities share a more recent ancestor with Triceratops than with Pigeons.
Frippities probably laid eggs.
All of these animals share the same ancestor.
Which of the statements are accurate?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A and C.
B and D.
C and D.
A, B, C, and D.
PART B
Examine the questions below. For at least two of the questions:
1. Decide if it is possible to answer the question with the data provided (the cladogram and data
tables).
2. If it is not possible, what information is needed to be able to answer the question?
3. If it is possible, what kind of hypothesis would you make? What is the evidence for your
statement? In your justification, make sure that you include information about common
ancestors and shared inherited features. What other evidence would you look for that would
support or refute your hypothesis?
Questions:

Did T. rex have color vision?
I believe the t. rex had feathers, I believe this because there closest of relatives had the same
feature and so did the second closest living relative so I believe the t. rex had the trait.

Did T. rex sing to its offspring?
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Learning from the Fossil Record
Grade 8 Science
Name: Jack Mohen
Date: 5/12/11
I believe the t. rex sang to its young, I believe this because there closest living relative has the
trait and so does their second closest so they definitely had the trait.
The information below will assist with this assignment.
Cladogram
Below is a simple cladogram indicating the proposed relationship among the caiman, parrot, and T. rex.
Additional data
This data table indicates the presence or absence of eleven additional features for the caiman and the
parrot. Notice that the information about the T. rex has not been filled in. You will need to make that
determination based upon what you have learned.
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Learning from the Fossil Record
Grade 8 Science
Name: Jack Mohen
Date: 5/12/11
PART C
Answer this question in RASE format.
How can we use fossils to understand if two or more organisms are related?
We can use fossils to make a Cladogram to find out which different living things are related to one
another. Cladograms will help you find out how each organism is related and where it breaks off
of the chain of the relationship. It will also show you the level of relationship between the animals
like which ones are closer related than the others. It shows us this by showing us a chain and each
one breaks off as the relationship breaks off. That is how you tell if two or more organisms are
related.
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