1. Recreating Darwin’s Voyage
Evolution Unit
Intro to Evolution / Natural Selection: Recreating Darwin’s Voyage Answer Key

2. Island 1 What is evolution? What was Darwin’s contribution to science?
“the process by which organisms have
changed over time.” Miller & Levine, Biology (p.450)
What was Darwin’s contribution to science?
“Darwin developed a scientific theory of biological evolution that explains how modern organisms evolved over long periods of time through descent from common ancestors.” Miller & Levine, Biology (p.450)
When did Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle begin? How long did it last for? 5 years
What was the purpose of his voyage?
Map the coastline of South America

3. Island 2
Look at the map of Darwin’s voyage on page Also have the world biome map open from page How many different biomes did Darwin visit on his voyage?
Temperate Forest
Temperate Woodland / Shrubland
Tropical Grassland / Savanna / Shrubland
Desert
Tropical Rainforest
Temperate Grassland
How did the geography of Darwin’s voyage give him far greater exposure to species variability than his fellow scientists back home had?
While surveying the various coastlines and visiting many continents, Darwin traveled to many different biomes. The more he traveled to more ecological environments, the more he was exposed to varying species.

4. Island 3 & 4
The 3 netbooks have 3 different birds from 3 different places in the world. List the names of the birds and the places in the world they come from:
How are these birds similar? How are they different?
Bird:
Where it is from:
a. Ostrich
Africa
b. Rheas
South America
c. Emu
Austrila
Similar:
Different
Large
Different Feathers
Flightless
Rheas & Emus have 3 toes, Ostriches have 2 toes
Live in Grasslands
Live exclusively to their respective continent

5. Island 3 & 4
This leads us to Darwin’s first set of observations. Using the birds as examples, what can you conclude about different species of birds living in different places in the world?
Darwin saw that different, yet economically similar, animals lived in similar environments around the world!
For example, he noticed that Rheas, Ostriches, and Emus were all different, but shared similarities as large flightless birds that adapted to grasslands.
“Darwin noticed that different, yet ecologically similar, animal species inhabited separated, but ecologically similar, habitats around the world.” Miller & Levine, Biology (p.451)

6. Off the coast of Equator in South America
Island 5
Where are the Galapagos Islands located?
Off the coast of Equator in South America
What are some interesting species of animals found there?
Giant Tortoises
Mockingbirds
Finches
Marine Iguanas

7. Island 6 & 7
Look at the 2 different netbook pictures of the 2 different tortoises. These each come from different islands. What can you infer about the different tortoises and the shape of their shell?
Tortoise shells have predictably adapted to their specific island environment.
Isabella Island Tortoise
Hood Island Tortoise
Dome Shaped Shell
Curved Shells with a Large Neck Opening
Short Necks
Long Necks
Food is abundant and low
Food is sparse and high

8. Island 8
Look at the picture of the different finches on the Galapagos Islands. What can you infer about their different beaks?
Platyspiza
Certhidea
Pinaroloxias
Geospiza
Tree Finch
Ground Finch
Strips bark from trees
Eats small exposed insects
Eats insects, fruit, and nectar
Eats large, thick seeds
Needs a beak to grip and hold firm
Needs thin, straight, narrow beak, with firm grip tip
Needs a curved, beak that can probe and grip
Needs a strong, thick, sharp beak that can apply pressure and break shells
Beak similar to pliers!
Beak similar to forceps!
Beak similar to needle-nose pliers!
Beak similar to a heavy duty wire cutters!

9. Island 8
Based on questions 11 and 12, what can you conclude about different animals (even though they may be related) and the habitats they live in?
Species Vary…
Globally (think about the large, flightless birds on different continents)
Locally (think about the various finches across the Galapagos Islands)
Over Time (think about the various fossils Darwin found)

10. Island 9
Referring to the displayed fossils. Can you think of any modern day animals that resemble these fossils? Which animals?
Fish
Trilobite (Early Arthropod)
Shells
Clams
Coral
Plant leaf, petrified wood
Deer antlers (not fossilized, Just old)
 Darwin also found fossils that didn’t resemble any living organisms. How might this finding have affected his understanding of life’s diversity?
“This wonderful relationship in the same continent between the dead and the living, will, I do not doubt, hereafter throw more light on the appearance of organic beings on our earth, and their disappearance from it, than any other class of facts.” ~ Darwin (Miller & Levine, Biology, p.453)