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The Environment and Change Over Time

Chapter Introduction

Lesson 1: Fossil Evidence of Evolution

Lesson 2: The Theory of Evolution�by National Selection

Lesson 3: Biological Evidence of Evolution

Chapter Wrap-Up

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CHAPTER INTRODUCTION

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How do species adapt to changing environments over time?

The Environment and Change Over Time

CHAPTER INTRODUCTION

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Swarms of Bees?

Look at the photo at the beginning of the chapter. A type of orchid plant, called a bee orchid, produces this flower. You might have noticed that the flower looks like a bee.

  • What is the advantage to the plant to have flowers that look like bees?
  • How did the appearance of the flower develop over time?
  • How do species adapt to changing environments over time?

The Environment and Change Over Time

CHAPTER INTRODUCTION

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The Environment and Change Over Time

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Begin the lesson presentations for this chapter�before returning to the Chapter Wrap-Up.

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How do species adapt to changing environments over time?

Through natural selection, species evolve as they adapt to Earth’s changing environments.

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Lesson 1: Fossil Evidence of Evolution

  • Fossils form in many ways, including mineral replacement, carbonization, and impressions in sediment.
  • Scientists can learn the ages of fossils by techniques of �relative-age dating and absolute-age dating.
  • Though incomplete, the fossil record contains patterns suggesting the biological evolution of related species.

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The Environment and Change Over Time

Lesson 2: The Theory of Evolution by

Natural Selection

  • The 19th century naturalist Charles Darwin developed �a theory of evolution that is still studied today.
  • Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is the process by which populations with variations that help them �survive in their environments live longer and reproduce more than those without beneficial variations. Over time, beneficial variations spread through populations, and new species that are adapted to their environments evolve.
  • Camouflage, mimicry, and other adaptations are evidence of the close relationships between species and their changing environments.

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Lesson 3: Biological Evidence of Evolution

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  • Fossils provide only one source of evidence of evolution. Additional evidence comes from living species, including studies in comparative anatomy, embryology, and molecular biology.
  • Through evolution by natural selection, all of Earth’s organisms are related. The more recently they share a common ancestor, the more closely they are related.

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The Environment and Change Over Time

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CHAPTER WRAP-UP