based on Indiana's Academic Standards, Science,
as adopted by the Indiana State Board of Education, Nov 2000.

numbers refer to the age-appropriate grade-level for the content.

Review

• Mendelian Theory of Inheritance
• mutation
• mutant alleles inherited the same as normal alleles

Selection, Artificial & Natural

Artificial Selection (Breeding)

grades 5: to 8: (especially in rural areas)

• Livestock breeding can produce prize-winning animals

grades 7: to 8:

• Judging Criteria at the county 4-H fair predict food quality of animals
• selection of breeding stock based on judging criteria
• expect offspring to judge well

grades secondary: to college:

• oldest known document - a "How-To Manual"
  • archeological dig (5,000 B.P.) in Mesopotamia (Turkey)
• basic premise
  • Select "best" animals as breeding stock
  • Select "worst" animals as food for family
  • rest of herd sent to market
• for example, [example 1] my Grandparents egg production
• Food quality [example 2] observable only after killing animal
  • note characteristics which 'predict' food value
  • use as Judging Criteria at county 4-H fair
  • Selection based on Judging Criteria
• example 3: dogs
  • 150 separate breeds recognized by Am Kennel Club (AKC)
    (www.akc.org/breeds/index.cfm)
    • German Shepherd, Retrievers, Collie, Bloodhound,
    • Beagle, Bulldog,
    • Poodle, Terriers, Chihuahua...
  • all from a single wolf-like ancestor
    • [Norwegian Elkhound, originated in Norway as early as 5,000 B.C.;
      www.akc.org/breeds/norwgnek.cfm]
• example 4: pigeons
  • similar diversity to dogs
  • famous pigeon breeder: Charles Darwin
  • later observed finches on Galapagos Islands

Natural Selection (according to Charles Darwin)

diversity of wild plants and animals

grades 2: to 5:

• diversity of wild plants and animals help adapt to extreme environments
  • land vs water
  • arctic and antarctic vs desert

grades 5: to 8:

• traits of wild plants and animals may give advantage in surviving
  • land vs water
    arctic and antarctic vs desert
• traits of wild plants and animals may also give advantage in reproducing

grade secondary: to college:

• Galapagos finch diversity
  • similar diversity to domestic pigeons
  • pigeon diversity created by breeding (artificial selection)
  • perhaps finch diversity created by selection (natural selection)

"struggle for existance"

grades 4: to 8:

• plants produce far more seeds than grow to be new plants
• wild animals also produce more offspring than survive to adults
• perhaps survival depends on traits

grade secondary: to college:

• Malthus Essay on Population Growth (A.D. 1859)
  • reproductive potential
  • actual population size
  • Darwin:
    • therefore "struggle for existence"
    • and adaptation to local environment
    • natural selection analogous to artificial selection
      • "best" animals,increased birth rate
      • "worst" animals,increased death rate
• Lyell Principles of Geology (A.D. 1872)
  • geological processes slow; therefore Earth is old
  • Darwin:
    • therefore time available for selection to produce species
    • evolution of species by natural selection

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