Gather your data and put it all together!
Day 1 Vocabulary Words
Pangea: the supercontinent that existed 245 million years ago (mya) and is a combination of all continents put together
Fossil: the trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock
Fossil Record: all of the fossils that have ever been found make up the history of life
Sedimentary: a type of rock that is formed when particles of sand, dust, or soil are deposited in horizontal layers
Day 1 Main Ideas
1. The breakup of Pangea provides evidence that organisms change once they are in a new environment. When the supercontinent separated, organisms had to adapt and change to a new environment. As a result, we see different types of animals on different continents.
2. The fossil record provides evidence that organisms changed over time. Newer fossils are found closer to the Earth's surface and are similar to modern-day organisms while older fossils are less similar and are found deeper in the ground.
Day 2 Vocabulary Words
Comparative Anatomy: the comparing of body structures
Homologous Structure: a structure that is similar in structure, but different in function (example: forelimbs of humans, cats, whales/dolphins, and bats)
DNA Sequencing: the sequence of an organism's DNA.
Day 2 Main Ideas
1. When scientists compare the forearms of humans, cats, whales/dolphins, and bats, they notice that they are made up of the same types of bones even though they have different functions today. For example, the forearm of a cat is used for walking while the forearm of a whale is used for swimming. This suggests that all of these animals came from a common ancestor and once they were put in different environments, the function of their forearms changed over time.
2. Sequencing an organism's DNA can tell you how similar they are to another organism. Organisms with similar DNA sequences came from a recent ancestor while organisms with different DNA sequences do not share a recent ancestor.