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2. Adaptation through variation
Y6 EVOLUTION AND INHERITANCE
LESSON 5:
Adaptation through variation

3. Today you will learn
How the features of animals and plants have adapted to their environments over millions of years by the process of Natural Selection
What Variation is and why it is so important to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

4. Remember this?

6. And this?

7. Darwin’s finches: different beaks for different jobs!

8. Discuss the answer with your partner
So we know that animals change, but why and how does this happen over millions of years?
Discuss the answer with your partner

9. The answer is ..
That tiny changes happen all the time to living things because they are not all created the same
This is called variation
These differences make animals either less or more successful at survival

10. Or in other words ..
If every life form since the beginning of time had been identical, we would never have evolved from a single cell!

11. How variation leads to new species
When an animal survives because it is born with a feature that helps it, (such as white fur if it lives in the snow), there is a good chance that it’s offspring will also have white fur, so it will survive longer than a brown furred animal. Eventually these differences can create completely new species.

12. How variation leads to new species

13. You have seen the next pictures of animals before, but take some time to discuss in more detail how each one has adapted to its environment. Don’t just think of the obvious things!

14. How has this creature adapted?
Answers
Big ears to hear reflected sounds
Fur to trap air and keep it warm
Leathery wings to fly and glide

15. How has this creature adapted?
Answers
Large body to store fat for the winter
Strong claws to hold prey
Sharp teeth to kill prey
Thick fur to keep warm

16. How has this creature adapted?
Answers
White fur to hide in snow
Large ears to hear prey and predators
Strong back legs to run and jump
A wide field of vision to see predators

17. How has this creature adapted?
Answers
Wings to fly
Hollow bones to stay light
Long beak to get bugs
Wide field of view to protect from predators

18. Tell the person next to you ..
Learning check:
Tell the person next to you ..
What Variation is
Why it is so important to the Evolution process

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