Unlocking Biodiversity: Natural Selection and the Tree of Life

Biology Grades High School 9:03 Video
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Lesson Description

Explore the mechanisms of evolution, focusing on natural selection and its role in shaping biodiversity. Learn how environmental factors drive adaptation and the ongoing process of species diversification.

Video Resource

Biodiversity and natural selection

California Academy of Sciences

Duration: 9:03
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Adaptation
  • Biodiversity
  • Phylogenetic Systematics

Learning Objectives

  • Define evolution and explain its relationship to biodiversity.
  • Describe the process of natural selection and its role in adaptation.
  • Explain the concept of 'survival of the fitter' and why it's a more accurate description than 'survival of the fittest'.
  • Recognize the importance of genetic variation within a population for natural selection to occur.
  • Understand that environmental factors drive natural selection.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they already know about biodiversity and evolution. Briefly introduce the video and its central question: 'Where does biodiversity come from?'
  • Video Viewing (10 mins)
    Play the video 'Biodiversity and Natural Selection' from the California Academy of Sciences. Instruct students to take notes on key terms and concepts introduced in the video.
  • Discussion (15 mins)
    Facilitate a class discussion using the discussion questions provided below. Encourage students to share their understanding of the concepts and ask clarifying questions.
  • Interactive Exercise: Adaptation Scenario (15 mins)
    Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific environment (e.g., a desert, a rainforest, the arctic). Each group should brainstorm an organism living in that environment and identify three adaptations that help it survive. They should then explain how natural selection would have favored these adaptations.
  • Wrap-up and Assessment (5 mins)
    Summarize the key concepts covered in the lesson. Assign the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes for assessment.

Interactive Exercises

  • Adaptation Scenario
    Students work in groups to analyze a specific environment and identify adaptations of an organism living there, explaining how natural selection favored those traits.

Discussion Questions

  • What is the difference between the 'pattern' and 'process' pathways in studying evolution?
  • How does natural selection lead to adaptation?
  • Why is the phrase 'survival of the fitter' more accurate than 'survival of the fittest'?
  • How does variation within a population contribute to the process of natural selection?
  • Can you think of examples of adaptations in organisms around you? How did natural selection likely lead to these adaptations?

Skills Developed

  • Critical Thinking
  • Scientific Reasoning
  • Data Interpretation
  • Communication
  • Collaboration

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which of the following best describes natural selection?

Correct Answer: The process by which individuals with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Question 2:

The term 'survival of the fitter' is preferred over 'survival of the fittest' because:

Correct Answer: Fitness is a relative measure, not an absolute one.

Question 3:

What is the ultimate source of variation within a population?

Correct Answer: Mutation

Question 4:

An adaptation is a trait that:

Correct Answer: Increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

Question 5:

What does the 'tree of life' (phylogenetic tree) represent?

Correct Answer: The history of evolution and the relationships among species.

Question 6:

Which factor is NOT a condition required for natural selection to occur?

Correct Answer: A surplus of resources

Question 7:

The process of nature selecting organisms is also known as:

Correct Answer: Natural Selection

Question 8:

What is the study of the shape of evolution by looking at relationships between organisms over time called?

Correct Answer: Evolutionary Biology

Question 9:

What did Darwin notice about domesticated population?

Correct Answer: There was more diversity.

Question 10:

What is the driving force of Earth's biodiversity?

Correct Answer: Interactions among all factors

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

The study of the shape of evolution and the relationships among organisms over time is called __________ __________.

Correct Answer: phylogenetic systematics

Question 2:

The mechanism of evolution where organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce is called __________ __________.

Correct Answer: natural selection

Question 3:

A trait that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a specific environment is called an __________.

Correct Answer: adaptation

Question 4:

The phrase 'survival of the _________' is a more accurate description of natural selection because it emphasizes that fitness is relative.

Correct Answer: fitter

Question 5:

For natural selection to occur, there must be __________ within a population.

Correct Answer: variation

Question 6:

The branching diagram that illustrates the evolutionary relationships among organisms is known as a __________ of __________.

Correct Answer: tree of life

Question 7:

Darwin recognized that the individuals selected for could pass on traits, also known as __________ to their offspring.

Correct Answer: adaptations

Question 8:

Humans bred fast horses with each other to get even faster horses and these horses were __________ for variations in speed.

Correct Answer: selected

Question 9:

The __________ of an individual meant being better able to produce offspring that had traits like the parent.

Correct Answer: fitness

Question 10:

The offspring of individuals that had been selected for could __________ the traits of their successful parents and ancestors.

Correct Answer: inherit

Educational Standards

B.LS4.2:Construct an explanation based on evidence that biological diversity is influenced by (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. B.LS4.4:Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations. B.LS4.1:Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.

Teaching Materials

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