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Years 9-10
Evolution
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“Mind-Map” Outline of Topic

This topic belongs to the Biology branch of Science.
In fact, the Theory of Evolution is perhaps the major concept
of modern Biology after Cell Theory.
Formation
Earth History
&
Revealed Fossil
Age of
by Fossils Evidence Selective
Fossils
Breeding
Fossils Evidence
for
Evolution
Evolution Comparative
Anatomy
of Cell
Chemistry
Life
Theory
of
Evolution Evolution
in
Australia
Darwin’s
Theory
How New
Species
Evolve Natural
Selection
Evolution
Extinction of Our Extinction
of the Plants
& Importance
Megafauna
Animals of Variation
Years 9-10 Topic 18 Evolution of Life Usage & copying is permitted according to the
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Make your own “Mind-Map” TITLE PAGE.

Cut out the boxes. Sort them into an appropriate lay-out on a page of your
workbook, then glue them down. Add connecting arrows and colour in.
Theory Evolution Formation

&
of
of Age of
Evolution
Evidence
Fossils
Fossil
Life
How New
Species
Fossils Darwin’s Importance Evolve
Theory of Variation
Earth History
Extinction
Revealed
Evidence Evolution by Fossils
for in Extinction
of the
Evolution Australia Evolution
Megafauna
of Our
Plants
Cell Comparative Selective Natural &
Chemistry Anatomy Breeding Selection Animals
Make your own “Mind-Map” TITLE PAGE.

Cut out the boxes. Sort them into an appropriate lay-out on a page of your
workbook, then glue them down. Add connecting arrows and colour in.
Theory Evolution Formation

&
of
of Age of
Evolution
Evidence
Fossils
Fossil
Life
How New
Species
Fossils Darwin’s Importance Evolve
Theory of Variation
Earth History
Extinction
Revealed
Evidence Evolution by Fossils
for in Extinction
of the
Evolution Australia Evolution
Megafauna
of Our
Plants
Cell Comparative Selective Natural &
Chemistry Anatomy Breeding Selection Animals
Years 9-10 Topic 18 Evolution of Life 4 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au Site Licence Conditions only
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Fossils
A fossil is the remains, or traces, of a living thing from ages past.
It could be a bone, tooth or shell. It could be an imprint or a footprint or a burrow.
There is even a specialist study of fossilised dinosaur droppings!
The study of fossils is called Palaeontology. (say: pay-lee-on-tology)

Fossil Formation If the sediments containing the remains
are buried and compressed, they may
become Sedimentary Rock such as
Usually, when a living thing dies its
shale or limestone. This is where fossils
remains are eaten by scavengers or are most commonly found.
they rot away as the decomposers
(bacteria & fungi) do their thing. During millions of years of burial the
remains may be reduced to
Very, very rarely the remains just a carbon imprint, or be
are preserved as fossils. replaced by minerals from
the surrounding rock.
Perhaps the remains sink to
the bottom of the sea or a Much later, earth
lake and are rapidly buried in movements and erosion
mud following a flood. may expose these rocks at
Perhaps a volcanic eruption the surface. In many cases
This fossilised shell is about the fossil is then
buries and “mummifies” the 200 million years old.
destroyed by erosion.
remains in volcanic ash. It has been cut open to show
how mineral crystals have
grown in the hollow cavities. However, we have
Either way, some traces may It is completely mineralised, so managed to find and
be preserved in rock layers. nothing remains of the original study millions of fossils.
shell except its shape.
Putting Fossils in Time Order

Most fossils are buried in sediments. Fresh sediment always settles
on top of older sediments. Therefore, it is a basic principle that the
younger fossils are above the older ones in the sedimentary layers.
Relative Dating These fossils Actual Age
youngest
correlate to
each other.
of Fossils
By applying the principle
that older fossils are lower Correlating
down, the fossils in any
fossils gives
profile of sedimentary
rocks can be arranged in relative ages.
age order.
Actual
This idea can be extended ages can be
further by correlating The determined by
fossils from one area to coresponding measuring the
another. From thousands rock layers amount of
oldest
of studies like this, (in different

places)
radio-activity
scientists have built up a must be the remaining in
picture of the history of Rock profile in Rock profile in
same age. some rocks.
1st location 2nd location
life on Earth.
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Life on Earth Has Changed

Even the earliest amateur fossil-collectors of 200 years ago noticed that
the fossils they found were not the same as modern life-forms.
Obviously, the living things of long ago were different to those of today.
Patterns of Change Geological Time
When enough fossils had been studied In the 19th century, palaeontologists
and placed into relative time order, a began to name some periods of Earth
pattern became obvious. history according to the typical fossils
in rocks from each time.
The younger fossils were more like
To begin with, they only had the relative
modern plants and animals. Older
order of things, but in mid-20th century
fossils were quite unlike modern types. they were able to put actual dates on the
Really ancient fossils were all small, changes by using “radio-active dating”
simple creatures only. of rocks.
Rocks older than about They noticed that

600 million years contain at certain times in
only the fossils of “mats” the past there seems
of microscopic cell growths to have been sudden
and chemicals which indicate mass-extinctions of
the activity of living things. living things, always followed
Early investigators could find by the appearance of many
nothing at all in these rocks. new types of life.
0
Time-Line of Earth History IC
This time-line summarises some of the main changes to life 65 OZO
IN
CA als
on Earth that have been learned from Palaeontology. m nt
m a
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A Ma min
We believe the Earth is 4,600 million years old. s IC do
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The first traces of living things on Earth date
r M n 0 OZO
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from about 3,800 million years ago. This time-
M ti n ge aur
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First
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Sudden
“explosion” of A
animals with ER
C
shells and
ZOI First
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mammals
All life-fforms were L
single-c celled, 60
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although many First land
grew in colonies animals
and mats called g o
“stromatolites” sa
ar First fish
e S
ME
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so TI plants
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on AN on dry
Mi
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BRI First appearance land first appear
M of fossils of
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in the last
PR
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®
Worksheet 1
Student Name.............................................
Fossils & Earth History
When fossils are arranged in time order,
Fill in the blank spaces. a pattern emerges: recent fossils are
k)............................... to modern living
A fossil is the a)....................... or ............. things. Older fossils are l)................ like
of a b)............................. from ages past. modern life. Very old fossils are all
Fossils are usually found in m).................. and ................. creatures.
c)................................... rocks. They may
be actual remains, such a d).................... It seems that life began almost 4
or just an imprint or even a e).................. n).................. years ago. For most of this
from an animal walking through mud. time, all life was o)...............-celled and
lived in the p)...................... More
The study of fossils is called complex life appeared only about
f)........................................... q)............... million years ago.
Older fossils are always g)........................ Scientists have given names to different
in the rock layers because younger periods of Earth history according to the
sediments always settle h)........................ different r)......................... which lived
This allows fossils to be placed in then. There is evidence of sudden
i)........................ time order. Actual age s).............. extinctions in the past. These
can be measured by the j)......................... are always followed by the appearance
in some rocks. of many t)........................................ in the
fossil record.
Worksheet 2 Student Name.............................................

Relative Dating of Fossils
The diagrams represent sedimentary
rock profiles from 3 different areas. Area 1 Area 2 Area 3
1. What is the youngest fossil in each

area? area 1 area 2 area 3
................... ............... ..............

2. What is the oldest fossil in each area?
area 1 area 2 area 3
................... .................. ....................

3. Cut out each profile diagram and slide
them vertically to correlate any fossils
that match up.
4. From your correlated profiles, write

the names of all the fossils in age order.
Key to Fossils Shark tooth Coral
Start with the oldest.
Trilobite Fern leaf Moss leaf
Graptolite Jawless fish Ammonite
Starfish Sea urchin Cone scale
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Theory of Evolution
There can be no doubt that life on Earth has changed over millions of years.
The changes are not random. There is a distinct pattern; from simpler life-forms
towards more complex; from those unlike modern types,
to creatures more and more like those alive today.
The word for a series of changes which follow a pattern is “Evolution”.
What is a “Theory”? Principle of “Falsification”

A basic principle of Science is that all scientific
Some people choose to reject the Theory of theories are subject to being proven false.
Evolution. They point out that it is “only a
theory... it’s not proven”. They do not There could be thousands of facts to support a
understand the status of a scientific theory. proposed explanation of things, but just one
confirmed fact against it can prove it false.
In Science, a theory is an explanation for a set of
observed facts. To become accepted, it must It would only take one confirmed fossil in rock of
have a huge body of supporting evidence from the wrong age and the whole Theory of
observations and/or experiment. It is NOT just Evolution would fall over. For example, a
an unfounded idea. mammal tooth in rock from when fish first
appeared, or a human fossil among dinosaur
The idea that all bones. (Fred Flintstone perhaps?)
substances are composed
of tiny particles of matter The fact is that millions of fossils have been
is “Atomic Theory”. studied, correlated and dated. Not one has ever
There is a huge body of been proven to be “out of place”.
observations and
experimental results If that happened, scientists would be forced to
which convince scientists that Atomic Theory drop the current theory and find a new
is fundamentally correct. There may be more to explanation. Scientists always keep this
learn, but the basic idea seems accurate. “falsification” in mind. They might believe a
theory to be a correct explanation, but are also
Similarly, there is “Cell Theory”, Einstein’s prepared to reject it IF THE EVIDENCE PROVES
“Theory of Relativity” and the “Theory of Plate IT FALSE.
Tectonics”. Each is supported by a mass of
consistent, coherent, mutually-supporting facts. So, what is the supporting
The Theory of Evolution fits right in with these. evidence for Evolution?
1. The Fossil Record

This is undoubtably the most important set of facts which convince scientists
that life on Earth has gone through a sequence of changes.
Simple to Complex More & More Like Modern Life
The earliest fossils are all single-celled Extinct life forms from 10 million
organisms and the stromatolites they years ago are recognisably
similar to modern types. Go back
built. Much later simple algae, worms 100 million years and the fossils
and jellfish appear. are less similar to modern life.
Later still come fossils of shelled Keep going back and the living
animals and crustaceans. Then fish, the things are less recognisable. It
first land plants, then insects, seems that the pattern of changes leads directly
to the modern types of life on Earth.
amphibians, reptiles, mammals,
dinosaurs, flowering plants and birds... (Don’t be fooled by that... previous stages always
the pattern is clearly from simple look “old-fashioned”. In 100 million years time,
towards more complex organisms. human fossils will seem very primitive!)
®
2. Transitional Fossils
Not only does the fossil record show the overall pattern of change,
but occasionally it reveals the remains of “intermediate stages” of life.
These are fossils of organisms that are “in-between” in the evolution
of a new type from a previously existing type of life.
Archaeopteryx (say: are-key-op-terix) Cooksonia
(“Archae” = ancient, “pteryx” = wing) From 420 million years ago,
Archaeopteryx is the most famous this plant seems part
transitional fossil. It dates from 150 mya. seaweed and part moss.
Its bones are those It may have been among
Archaeopteryx of a small dinosaur, the first plants to live 5cm
fossil on dry land.
but it is covered
with feathers.
Reconstruction of
Archaeopteryx
Teeth
Other transitional fossils include
reptiles with fur (becoming
Wing mammals?), ferns with seed cones
It probably could not fly Claws (becoming conifers?), fish with
well, but may have
climbed trees and glided down.
lungs and legs (becoming
amphibians?) and many more...
This was a dinosaur - bird. including our own ancestors.
Transitional Fossils give us a glimpse

of the changes from one type to
another as evolution progressed.
3. Selective Breeding
People wonder how one organism can just “turn-into” another.
No individual animal changes during its life-time. The changes occur from one
generation to another, as certain features are “selected” in favour of others.
Humans have been doing it to plants & animals for centuries.
Domesticated
Plants & Animals
Human farmers have always chosen
which seeds to keep for next year’s crop,
“SPIKE”
or which bull to breed with the cows.
All breeds of dogs are descended from the wolf.
This has drastically changed all these Who would guess that a Dalmation and a Maltese
plants and animals. Modern wheat is Terrier are both wolves?!
nothing like the wild grass we believe it Selective Breeding
was bred from. Cabbages and cauliflowers proves that a species can be changed.
used to be the same thing, but have been
Humans can do it artificially,
changed by selective breeding.
but in the wild it happens naturally.
®
4. Comparative Anatomy
Many living organisms have basic structures which show that
they have evolved from a common ancestor.
The Pentadactyl Limb Evolution of Vertebrates
(“Penta = 5, “dactyl”=finger)
Some fish, all the amphibians, reptiles, Modern Modern Modern
Modern
BIRDS
FISH REPTILES MAMMALS
mammals and birds have the same Modern
basic bone structure in their limbs. AMPHIBIANS
1 bone in
upper arm Not
to
same DINOSAURS
no pentadactyl structure
2 bones scale
in forearm Ancient
MAMMALS
5 sets
of finger
bones Ancient
Human Whale Bat REPTILES
arm flipper wing
Some “lobe-
Their limbs are used in totally different
finned” fish
ways... flying, swimming, running, Ancient still exist
grasping, digging, etc. AMPHIBIANS today
Why have the same

bone structure? Ancient FISH with
pentadactyl limbs
We think it’s because they have all
Many fossils have been
evolved from an original ancestor Ancient found which support
which had that structure. FISH this scheme.
Many features of modern organisms point to

evolution from a common ancestor.
5. Cell Chemistry
The structure of DNA, cell proteins & chemical pathways all point to a common ancestry.
The Genetic Code Cell Chemicals & Pathways

Human DNA is 99% identical The chemicals in living cells which
control cell chemistry show the same
to that of a chimpanzee,
patterns as DNA. The chemicals in a
but much less like that human cell and a fish, or even an insect
of a horse, cell are surprisingly similar.
less again for
lizards, fish, When compared to plants, the differences
insects, and so on. become greater, and compared to certain
types of bacteria the differences become
Yet all these organisms use exactly the huge.
same “genetic code” in the DNA itself.
Yet even there, there are some
This is totally consistent with the idea fundamental similarities. We think all
of evolution from common ancestors. life evolved from one ultimate ancestor!
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Worksheet 3
Evidence for Evolution Student Name.............................................
In Science, a “theory” is an These give us a glimpse of one type of
a).............................. for a set of observed life i)........................... into another.
b).................... Every scientific theory
can (in principle) be proven c)................ 3. Selective Breeding proves that a
Evolutionary theory could be proven species j)...................................................
false by finding a d)................... which is by selection of which ones k)...................
“out of place”. the next generation.
The main sets of evidence supporting 4. l)............................ Anatomy often

the idea of Evolution are: reveals evidence that different
organisms evolved from a m)...................
1. The fossil record, which shows that ..........................
life has changed from e)................. to
........................... and that life-forms have 5. The study of various cell
become more and more similar to n).........................., such as DNA, reveals
f)........................................................... many similarities between quite
different life-forms. This gives further
2. “g)....................... fossils” such as the evidence of descent from a o).................
dinosaur-bird “h)..................................”. .............................
Worksheet 4 Student Name.............................................

Practice Questions 4. a) What does “pentadactyl” mean?
1. Place these Earth history events in
correct time order.
Age of dinosaurs, first land plants, first b) The bone structure of a dog’s paw, a
birds, mammals take over, first land seal’s flipper and a frog’s leg are all the
animals, first fish. same. What does this suggest about
their evolution?
2. 5. Descibe some chemical evidence that

a) Describe the animal “archaeopteryx”. suggests a common ancestor for all
living things.
b) What is the significance of fossils

such as archaeopteryx?
6. A human embryo has structures that
are the same as the gill arches in a fish.
(These later develop into the bones of the inner ear.)
3. Humans have carried out selective What does this suggest?
breeding on many species such as
dogs. What does this prove?
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Evolution by Natural Selection

The Theory of Evolution is an idea which explains the FACTS of nature such as
fossil sequences, cell chemistry, comparative anatomy, and so on.
The theory also contains an explanation for HOW THE CHANGES OCCUR.
Charles Darwin (English 1809-82) How Evolution Works
In the 1830’s this young The steps of logic in Darwin’s theory:
naturalist travelled
around the world for 5 1. All organisms produce more offspring
years on a navy survey than can possibly survive.
ship, HMS Beagle.
2. In every species there is variation.
He studied thousands Different individuals show many
of plants and animals differences from each other.
as well as rocks and
fossils, especially in 3. Nature selects which individuals
South America. survive. Factors such as predators,
diseases, climate, etc all contribute.
He became convinced that living things
had changed and can change over time. 4. The survivors breed and pass on to
He devoted the rest of his life to studying offspring the “survival characteristics”
living things and developing a theory to which helped them to make it.
explain how the changes could occur.
5. This may mean that each succeeding
His theory was first published in 1859. It generation is slightly different in which
has survived the “falsification” tests of variations are most common. Gradually, over
Science for 150 years, and now is generations, these changes accumulate as
backed by thousands of individual facts “natural selection” keeps choosing survivors.
Gradually the population evolves into a new
of evidence.
type, and eventually a new species.
1. Too Many Offspring 2. Variations

An oyster releases 2 million eggs at a
time. Only 1 or 2 ever make it to Zebras might all look the same to us,
maturity. Many (in fact most) plants but every one has a different stripe
produce thousands of seeds. Hardly pattern, a bit like our fingerprints. Some
any survive. have a better sense of smell, others can
run faster, another has better resistance
It can be shown to a disease, or can chew tougher grass.
mathematically that
if every baby In fact, in every species that reproduces
elephant survived sexually, we know that each individual
to maturity and then is unique. Sexual reproduction keeps
produced 1 baby mixing genes from different parents
every 5 years, then the world would be together in different combinations.
completely covered with elephants
within a few thousand years. Even among bacteria,
Obviously, this hasn’t happened. That’s differences arise due
because they don’t all survive. to mutations.
Darwin’s first point is well proven by Variation is the raw
many studies of survival rates in material of evolution.
thousands of living things.
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3. Natural Selection
This is the key to understanding the Theory of Evolution.
HOW NATURAL SELECTION WORKS Nature

chooses the
A population of a species with a lot of “variations” survivors
? ... and the
losers!
hairy long long light big squat

neck legs colour ears body
Then, the climate changes... winters get colder

What Helps Survival?
Many die in the harsh winters Any characteristic might be a help to
survive under different conditions...
• a better immune system helps,

when diseases strike...
hairy survives Squat survives • more inquisitive behaviour might
find more food...
Survivors breed • more timid behaviour might avoid dangers...
over many generations • larger body size might deter predators...
• smaller body size might help hide
from predators.
It is difficult to predict exactly which

The survivors pass on their characteristics. characteristic, or combination of
Generations later, most of the population are characteristics, might help survival... it
squat and hairy. No single animal changed, but
depends on what happens in the
the population has changed because of which
animals survived and reproduced. environment.
4. Survive to Breed 5. Population Evolves

Survival isn’t just about individuals It often seems as if evolution
having a long life. It’s really about deliberately causes changes towards a
reproduction. certain goal. For example, in the
ficticious example above the climate
The survivors are ones who get to became colder and it may seem as if
reproduce lots of offspring. the species deliberately evolved to
become “squat & hairy” in order to
If you’re dead, you cannot breed. survive better in the cold.
The survivors are the ones with slightly However, the characteristics “squat”
“better” characteristics to cope with and “hairy” were already present in the
the environment and all its challenges. population among many other
“variations”. They simply became more
When survivors breed they pass on common in later generations because
genetically those adaptations which of natural selection.
helped them survive, so their many
offspring have a better chance. In later generations the whole
population looks different because one
“Survival of the Fittest” really “type” has become predominant.
means reproduction by the best. Eventually it becomes a new species.
®
The Importance of Variations

Variation Helps Where Does Variation
a Species Survive Come From?
What if all the individuals in a Sexual Reproduction always bring
population were the same? together genes from 2 different parents.
It mixes genes together in new
combinations... variation.
Meiosis, the cell division which makes

They might be “well adapted” to their sperm and egg cells, also creates
environment and quite good survivors, variations. It halves the chromosome
but what if the environment changes? number, but can do so in millions of
different combinations of
chromosomes. Every sperm or egg is
What if the climate changes and winters different... variation.
become cold and harsh? With no
“squat” or “hairy” variations, it’s Mutation
possible the whole population could be Ultimately, the source of all new
wiped out. characteristics is the accidental
changes that can occur to the DNA and
create a different gene.
A species without variation is in danger
of extinction. A larger number of Most mutations are detrimental, but
variations gives a greater chance that at some simply create a new variation,
least some will survive and breed when neither good nor bad... until the
the environment changes. environment changes.
Extinction
There are millions of species alive on Earth today. This is probably
less than 1% of all the species which have ever lived. Therefore, extinction
is the normal (and inevitable) fate of every species, sooner or later.
The Causes of Extinction Mass Extinctions
Palaeontologists have identified about 6 mass
Any change to the environment might extinction episodes that have occurred within
the past 500 million years.
cause extinction. It could be:
The most recent world-wide mass extinction
• a new deadly predator. occurred 65 million years ago. There is evidence
• a new competitor for food or nest sites. that a 10km meteorite from space hit the Earth.
• a disease epidemic.
• a loss of habitat. (Humans cause this a lot) It caused such a sudden
and drastic climate change
• a climate change, either natural or not. that more than half of all
species were wiped out,
If a species has many variations, it has a including all the dinosaurs.
better chance that at least some will
survive and breed, possibly changing It is possible that a new
the features of the population and mass extinction is currently
underway due to human-
leading (eventually) to a new species. caused Global Warming.
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How One Species Evolves into Many

After every mass extinction in Earth history there has always been a recovery,
with many new species “suddenly” appearing in the fossil record.
How can multiple new species evolve?
This species of animals has spread out widely
They are all one species, but have
across a continent.
many variations among the individuals.
Over thousands of years, volcanic

eruptions and earth movements
The species becomes divided into 2 groups
enlarge the mountain range.
which are isolated from each other and
rarely meet or inter-b
breed.
In this region the winters have become cold. In this region a new predator has migrated in.
“Squat” and “hairy” have a survival advantage. Big ears hear it coming; long legs run away faster;
Natural Selection weeds out those “less fit”. lighter colour is better camouflage.
A different set of variations are “fittest” here.
As always, the survivors breed. The “survival traits” become predominant in each
region over a number of generations.
Over generations, the animals in the 2 regions evolve to be quite different. Eventually they become unable
to interbreed, even if they get the chance. They are now 2 different species.
The Importance of Isolation

In the ficticious example above, one On his 1830’s voyage, Charles Darwin
original species has evolved into two was deeply impressed by the many
different species. different (but obviously related) species
of birds on the different islands of the
The key to this was the isolation of one Galapagos Islands. Galapagos tortoise
group from the other. Isolation allows He also noted the
Natural Selection to work on each group slightly different “sub-
differently, according to the species” of the giant
environment and which characteristics land tortoises on the
might help survival in each place. islands.
Organisms can become isolated by Modern biologists have studied many

mountain ranges, by rivers, on different changes to isolated groups living
islands, etc. under different “selection pressures”.
®
Evolution in Australia
Australian native plants and animals are mostly very different to those of other
continents. How can we explain that?
The Moving Continents Australia’s Climate Changes
We believe that the crust of the Earth is The fossil record shows that 100 million
made of a number of “plates” which years ago Australia was a warm, wet
slowly slide around, carrying the place, mostly covered by rainforests
continents to new locations. This idea is and populated by many dinosaurs and a
covered in more detail in another topic. few insignificant mammals and birds.
There is evidence that 100 million years A massive and sudden climate change 65
ago, Australia was part of a large million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs
continent called “Gondwana”. world-wide. On every continent the
mammals and birds took over and rapidly
THE ANCIENT SOUTHERN CONTINENT
“GONDWANA” evolved into many new types.
Modern The Australian climate became very dry

coastlines and so the rainforests diminished. The
drought-tolerant banksias and gum
trees took over. They had always been
Africa India there, but in rainforest times had been
rare. Now they flourished and evolved
into many new types which could
survive the dry, harsh climate and poor
ca
cti soil.
lia
South tar
An
ra
America
st
Au
Of the original
Gondwana animals,
the ones that survived
Gondwana gradually broke up into these climate changes
pieces, each of which has slowly moved best were the reptiles
away to its present-day location. and the marsupials, or
pouched mammals.
The animals and plants which lived all
across Gondwana were carried away to The marsupial method of reproduction
evolve separately on each fragment. is a “survival trait” in the harsh and
unpredictable climate so they survived
Modern Australian plants and animals are the and evolved while many other types of
unique result of that separate evolution. mammals died out.
Australia’s Megafauna
Long before the evolution of humans, there was a trend all over the world for some
animals to evolve into “giant” forms. In North America there
were huge mammoths, giant rhinoceros, elk and sloths.
Giants evolved in Australia as well. A 3-tonne wombat

called diprotodon was the heaviest, but there was also a
3-metre tall kangaroo and a 1,000kg goanna.
These “megafauna” only became extinct after the arrival of

DIPROTODON aboriginal people. We’re still not sure if the giants were
Human figure to scale hunted to extinction or wiped out by climate changes.
®
Professor Tim Flannery

Australian Evolutionary & Environmental Scientist
When you study Evolution you learn about Charles Darwin, but rarely anyone else.
In the 150 years since Darwin’s theory was published, there have, of course, been
many more great scientists who have contributed to our knowledge.
In recent years, one of those great contributors has been Tim Flannery.
Scientific Achievements Other Achievements
Tim Flannery was educated in In recent years Professor Flannery has become an
Melbourne, and later Sydney. out-spoken activist on environmental issues.
His research on the evolution He is a leader or member of many organisations

of mammals in Australasia which study environmental issues, including
greatly enlarged our bodies which report
knowledge and understanding to and advise the
of the “Megafauna”. governments of
Queensland and
In the 1980’s he discovered South Australia.
new dinosaur fossils in
Victoria and was involved in Flannery teamed up
the discovery of very ancient with his friend,
mammal fossils. His surveys radio & TV
of mammals in New Guinea personality John
and the Melanesian Islands Doyle, to make a
discovered 16 new species. series of popular TV
programs with an
He has contributed to well- environmental
over 100 scientific papers and theme.
written several books, some of
which are recognised as In 2007 he was
Photo by Mark Coulson
important reference works. named “Australian
of the Year” in recognition of his contributions to
Academic Positions Science and environmental issues.
Professor Flannery was
Principle Research Scientist at In 2009 he became Chairman of the Copenhagen
the Australian Museum, Climate Council. This body promotes international
action and treaties between nations to help prevent
Sydney for 15 years. He was
possible climate-change catastrophe.
appointed professor at the
University of Adelaide and He holds strong and often controversial opinions
Director of the South on many issues, from Australia being over-
Australian Museum. He served populated, to the future of our pastoral industry
as a Visiting Professor of (get rid of cattle, eat kangaroos) and energy
Australian Studies at Harvard supplies (stop burning coal, go solar).
University, USA.
Tim Flannery is not at all like the stereotype of an
He is currently a professor of “absent-minded professor”. He is well-spoken,
Environmental Sciences at often out-spoken, perhaps a bit of an Aussie
Macquarie University in larrikin and passionate about the things that matter
Sydney. to him.
®
Worksheet 5
Theory of Evolution Student Name.............................................
A. List the 5 points of Darwin’s Theory of B. List 3 “environmental factors” which
Evolution by completing each might contribute to natural selection.
statement.
1. All organisms produce ........................

C. “Survival of the fittest” doesn’t just
.................................................................... mean to survive. What does it mean?
2.
In every species there is .........................
3. Nature (environmental factors) selects
.................................................................... D.
4. i) When a species evolves, does any
The survivors ....................... individual change during its life time?
and pass on their .....................................
5.Each generation is ................................. ii) When do differences appear?
because there has been selection of
who ........................ As these changes
accumulate, the species ..........................
Worksheet 6
Student Name.............................................
Evolution Questions 4. Explain how one species, which is
1. a) Why is variation important in a living in 2 or more isolated groups,
population? might evolve to become several
different species.
b) What might happen to a species with

no variations at all?
2. a) Where do new variations originally

come from? 5. a) Name the large ancient continent
which Australia was once part of.
b) How does sexual reproduction
contribute to variation? b) What sort(s) of plants and animals
survived most sucessfully in Aust. as the
climate became drier & unpredictable?
3. a) List 3 environmental changes that

might result in extinction of a species.
c) What are “megafauna”? Give an
example.
c) What may cause a “mass extinction”?
®
Topic Test
Evolution of Life Student Name............................................. Score = /21
Answer all questions 3. (4 marks)

in the spaces provided. a) Name a “transitional fossil”, and
describe it.
1. (5 marks)
Match each description to an item from the
list. To answer, write the letter (A,B,C, etc)
of the list item beside the description. b) What is the significance of transitional
fossils to the Theory of Evolution?
Description matches with List Item
a) Traces of a living thing from

long ago. .............
b) When a species no longer 4. (2 marks)
exists. ............. Give an outline of a piece of evidence
c) Fossil which is “in-between” which suggests “descent from a common
in evolution of a new type. ............. ancestor”.
d) Process of environment choosing
who survives or dies. .............
e) 5-finger limb structure, common
to most vertebrates. .............
List Items Not all will be used. 5. (6 marks)

Some may be used more than once. a) List the 2 (unrelated) facts about living
A. extinct D. transitional things which are the starting point for
B. fossil E. natural selection Darwin’s theory.
C. pentadactyl F. diprotodon
2. (4 marks)
a) In what general type of rock are fossils
most commonly found?
b) Give an outline of what is meant by
“natural selection”.
b) In a particular cliff-face containing
fossils, how do you tell which are older
and younger?
c) It is often said that evolution is all

c) When fossils representing the whole of
the history of life on Earth are compared, about “survival of the fittest”. What is
what general pattern or trend is apparent? “survival” really all about?
d) Why is it important for a species to

d) How does modern Science explain that have a lot of “variation”?
pattern or trend?
®
Answer Section Worksheet 4

1. first fish, first land plants, first land
Worksheet 1 animals, Age of dinosaurs, first birds,
a) remains or trace b) living thing mammals take over
c) sedimentary d) bone / shell / tooth
e) footprint f) Palaeontology 2. a) A dinosaur-bird, a dinosaur with
g) lower h) on top feathers.
i) relative j) radio-activity b) They give us a fossil glimpse of a stage
k) more similar l) less in the evolution of one type of life into
m) small & simple n) billion another.
o) single-celled p) sea
q) 600 million r) life-forms 3. It proves that a species can change
s) mass extinctions when there is selection of which
t) new species individuals are allowed to breed.
4. a) Literally, “5 fingers”.
Worksheet 2 b) That they all evolved from a common
Area 2
1. Cone scale, shark tooth, coral ancestor which had that structure.
2. Graptolite, cone scale, trilobite
3.They need to be arranged as 5. All living things use the same genetic
Area 1
suggested by this diagram. code in their DNA.

4. Trilobite, sea urchin,
graptolite, coral, jawless fish, 6. Common ancestry. We still retain some
Area 3
starfish, moss leaf, cone features of our remote ancestors.

scale, fern leaf, ammonite,
shark tooth.
Worksheet 5
A.
Worksheet 3 1. All organisms produce more offspring
a) explanation b) facts than can possibly survive.
c) false d) fossil 2. In every species there is variation.
e) simple to complex 3. Nature selects which individuals
f) modern life-forms survive
g) Transitional h) archaeopteryx 4. The survivors breed and pass on their
i) evolving j) can be changed survival traits.
k) breed l) Comparative 5. Each generation is different because
m) common ancestor there has been selection of who survived
n) chemicals o) common ancestor to breed. As these changes accumulate,
the species evolves.
B. Climate, predators, disease.
C. It means to survive and breed.
D. i) No.
ii) In the next generation, which receive a
slightly different proportion of each
“variation”.
®
Worksheet 6 Topic Test

1.
a) Variations increase the chance that 1. a) B b) A c) D d) E e) C
some individuals might survive a change
in the environment. 2.
b) Without variations, all individuals could a) Sedimentary
be wiped out in a changed environment, b) Older fossils lower down, younger
so the species becomes extinct. fossils above.
c) There is a trend from simple to more
2. a) Mutations complex, or from less like modern types
b) It mixes genes from 2 parents to to more and more resembling modern life.
produce new combinations of features. d) Life changes by a process of evolution.
This constantly causes living things to
3. a) Change of climate, a new predator, a change to become better able to survive
new disease. their environment.
b) World-wide climate change is the most
likely cause. 3. a) Archaeopteryx was a dinosaur-bird.
b) Transitional fossils show us a fossil
4. Each isolated group may be acted on glimpse of a stage in the evolution of one
by different environmental factors. Natural type into another.
selection chooses different “survival
features” in each place, so each group 4. The “pentadactyl” limb structure is
evolves differently. Eventually each group common to most vertebrates even though
may become a different species. various animals might use them as legs,
flippers or wings. The same bone
5. a) Gondwana structure used in such different ways
b) plants = banksias and gum trees. suggests that all types descended from a
animals = reptiles & marsupial mammals. common ancestor which had that
c) “Giant” species of animals. structure.
e.g. Diprotodon was a 3-tonne wombat.
5.
a) 1. All species produce more offspring
than can possibly survive.
2. All species have variations among
individuals.
b) The factors of the environment
(“nature”) select which individuals
survive and which don’t.
c) Those individuals with better “survival
features” are the ones who survive to
breed. It’s all about reproduction.
d) So that when the environment changes
there is a better chance that some will
survive to breed, rather than the species
becoming extinct.

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Year 11-12 Science Courses

All Topics Available as PHOTOCOPY MASTERS and/or KCiC

“Mind-Map” Outline of Topic

Make your own “Mind-Map” TITLE PAGE.

Theory Evolution Formation

Make your own “Mind-Map” TITLE PAGE.

Theory Evolution Formation

The study of fossils is called Palaeontology. (say: pay-lee-on-tology)

Putting Fossils in Time Order

of studies like this, (in different

Life on Earth Has Changed

Rocks older than about They noticed that

Worksheet 2 Student Name.............................................

1. What is the youngest fossil in each

................... ............... ..............

................... .................. ....................

4. From your correlated profiles, write

The word for a series of changes which follow a pattern is “Evolution”.

What is a “Theory”? Principle of “Falsification”

1. The Fossil Record

Transitional Fossils give us a glimpse

Why have the same

Many features of modern organisms point to

The Genetic Code Cell Chemicals & Pathways

The main sets of evidence supporting 4. l)............................ Anatomy often

Worksheet 4 Student Name.............................................

2. 5. Descibe some chemical evidence that

b) What is the significance of fossils

Evolution by Natural Selection

1. Too Many Offspring 2. Variations

HOW NATURAL SELECTION WORKS Nature

hairy long long light big squat

Then, the climate changes... winters get colder

• a better immune system helps,

It is difficult to predict exactly which

4. Survive to Breed 5. Population Evolves

The Importance of Variations

Meiosis, the cell division which makes

How One Species Evolves into Many

Over thousands of years, volcanic

The Importance of Isolation

Organisms can become isolated by Modern biologists have studied many

Modern The Australian climate became very dry

Giants evolved in Australia as well. A 3-tonne wombat

These “megafauna” only became extinct after the arrival of

Professor Tim Flannery

His research on the evolution He is a leader or member of many organisations

1. All organisms produce ........................

b) What might happen to a species with

2. a) Where do new variations originally

3. a) List 3 environmental changes that

Answer all questions 3. (4 marks)

a) Traces of a living thing from

List Items Not all will be used. 5. (6 marks)

c) It is often said that evolution is all

d) Why is it important for a species to

Answer Section Worksheet 4

suggested by this diagram. code in their DNA.