1. Selective Breeding
2. True Hibernators Here are a couple examples of true hibernators. Why do these animals have to hibernate when it is winter?
3. Migrating versus hibernating Bears stay through the winter by sleeping for long periods (not true hibernation because their body temperature and heart rate does not drastically drop) while monarchs can migrate over 1000 miles. Bears are large and monarchs are small. Why is it not feasible for a bear to migrate to warmer climates?
4. Migration The Gnu and the mouse are both land animals. Explain why the gnu can migrate long distances and the mouse would stay put in the freezing cold to hibernate through a winter.
5. Natural Selection Explain how today’s giraffe population has long necks. Go to the following youtube clip and watch the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPDwyjzRBJ0
6. Bird beak adaptations Looking at the chart on the left, what is the most likely food of the 1. hummingbird, 2.golden-crowned sparrow, 3. American kestrel or 4. the mallard?
7. Tapetum The tapetum is the shiny bluish, iridescent layer on the back of a cat’s eyeball that reflects light on to the retina that picks up images. Humans do not have this layer in the eye. How is this an advantage for the cat to survive?
8. Biodiversity Explain how biodiversity (lots of variety in a species) can help a population of organisms survive over many generations versus when there is low biodiversity (all the organisms are the same). High biodiversity Low biodiversity
9. Mimicry-coral and king snake Some animals that are dangerous have warning coloration instead of camouflage. Animals instinctively avoid these brightly colored animals. Explain how the king snake has an advantage looking like the coral snake.
10. Earthworm adaptations Explain how the earthworm is well adapted to its environment. (What characteristics help it survive?)
11. Sexual vs asexual reproduction Explain how sexual reproduction increases biodiversity and how it can help a species survive over many generations.
12. Selective Breeding Explain why it takes less time (generations) for a change to occur in a population with selective breeding than natural selection. Selective Breeding — 73% fitness 10 generations Natural Selection- 72% fitness 38 generations
13. Plant adaptations Water lilies have very waxy, flat leaves and they grow in ponds. Explain how some of their adaptations help them survive.