& Inheritance YEAR SIX CYCLE 2

Lesson You will learn: Learning Review Question What do Which types of characteristics species are inherited from parents and inherit from which are environmental their parents? About variation across offspring and a species Examples of cross breeding with dogs Who was That evolution is a change in Charles inherited characteristic Darwin? Life and work of Charles Darwin Evolution Theory and ‘Survival of the fittest’ of the Galapágos What About variation and adaptation happened to across a species the peppered About the advantages and ? disadvantages of certain characteristics How are How the cactus, penguin and some plants camel survive their extreme and animals habitats adapted to extreme conditions? Can evolution Role of fossils in the be development of evolution evidenced? theory (including the work of Mary Anning)

Can the What leads to extinction of a extinction of species species be Protecting endangered animals avoided? and plants

Lesson 1: What do species inherit from their parents?

Inherited traits

Traits are your physical characteristics, like your hair or eye colour. Every living thing has traits that make it unique. Most traits are passed down from parents, however, they can also come from your grandparents or even your great- grandparents. Some traits are also influenced by the environment.

To better understand how inherited traits work… let’s break it down!

Most traits are passed down from parents.

Parents pass their physical characteristics, or traits, to their offspring. Offspring are the children of parents (and that includes humans, too). When baby animals are formed, some of the traits from the mother and some of the traits from the father are combined to create a unique baby. Sometimes traits can skip a generation. That’s why you might be the only one in the family with a nose that looks like your grandfather’s nose.

Inherited Traits: Different individuals can have different traits.

If you have siblings, you might have some of the same traits. However, other traits may be different, like your eye color or height. You cannot have all of your mum’s traits AND all of your dad’s traits! It’s always a mixture. When babies are formed, they get some traits from each parent. It’s kind of like shuffling a deck of playing cards. Each time you shuffle the deck and pass out the cards, the players will have a different set of cards to play with.

Animals of the same kind share a common set of physical traits. For example, all giraffes have long necks and all birds lay eggs. Animals also have common behavioural traits. We can expect that all bumblebees will gather nectar and pollen and take it back to their beehive.

Passing Down Traits: Variation of traits among individuals may provide advantages in surviving.

Some traits are very helpful for animals in the wild. If a newborn deer blends into the grass where it was born, it will have a better chance of staying hidden from predators.

Camouflage is a trait that helps animals survive. Other traits, such as fur color, speed, and how well an animal can hear also help it survive. Having the prettiest feathers is a helpful trait for findings mates.

Environmental Factors: Some traits are influenced by environment.

We are all born with the information that will determine our traits. However, different factors in a living thing’s environment can influence the trait. If a person is born with the potential to grow very tall, but they don’t get proper nutrition, it is unlikely that they will be tall.

Poison dart frogs are the most brightly colored, and the most poisonous, frogs in the world. They are another good example of how traits can be influenced by the environment. Scientists think that poison dart frogs get their poison from the they eat. It is not simply something they are born with.

Answer these questions using the text to help you. 1. What are ‘traits’? ______

2. Where do humans get their traits/characteristics from? (Tick one)

Your mother, father Just your mother Just your father Your mother and no-one father and grandparents

3. Name two traits that help animals survive ______

4. How do poison dart frogs get their poison? ______

Inherited or Environmental? We inherit some characteristics from our parents but sometimes we have characteristics that are caused by the environment we live in. Sort the characteristics from the box into the correct part of the Venn diagram.

inherited environmental

shape of nose

scar from accident

eye colour scar from accident height sporting ability hair colour tan from sun language spoken skin colour general health ear lobe shape shape of nose blood group intelligence weight tongue rolling

What is variation?

All people are human. They belong to the same species. Your friends and classmates may have different eye colour and hair colour. Some will be boys and some will be girls. Some will be tall and some will be shorter. The presence of differences between living things of the same species is called variation. Variation between different species is usually greater than the variation within a species.

What is cross breeding?

Some species such as dogs, have different breeds. These breeds can then produce new dogs which have a mixture of characteristics from each dog.

For example a Labrador and a Poodle can be crossbred to make a Labradoodle.

Labrador retriever Poodle Labradoodle

Which characteristics has the labradoodle inherited from the Labrador and which have been inherited from the Poodle?

Pugs and Beagles can be crossbred to make Puggles.

Pug Beagle Puggle

Which characteristics has the Puggle inherited from the Pug and which have been inherited from the Beagle?

Debate it: Humans should not crossbreed dogs because it often leads to canine health problems. Lesson 2: Who was Charles Darwin? 1. Match the correct definition to the vocabulary by drawing a line.

characteristic An animal or person’s young/child

A feature or quality belonging typically to a offspring person, place or thing and which identifies them evolution An idea intended to explain something

The change in the characteristics of a species theory over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection

2. Name 3 characteristics that you might inherit from your parents.

3. What can you NOT inherit from your parents? Name two things.

Charles Darwin Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who changed the way humans viewed themselves and the world around them through his amazing ideas on evolution and natural selection. Read on for interesting facts about Charles Darwin.

 Charles Darwin was born in England on the 12th of February 1809, he died on the 19th of April 1882.

 He is most famous for his work on natural selection: the idea that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors. This process involves favourable traits becoming more common in successive generations of living things while at the same time unfavourable traits become less common.

 Not only did Darwin develop the idea of natural selection, he also presented compelling evidence from his detailed research which included a five year voyage on the HMS Beagle. On this voyage, Darwin visited ecologically diverse regions such as Brazil, Chile, Australia, the Falkland Islands and the Galapagos Islands.

 His 1859 book ‘On the Origin of Species’, detailed much of his research on natural selection, it contained a large amount of evidence to back up his ideas and became a landmark work in the field of evolutionary biology.

 Darwin’s ideas created a lot of discussion regarding the impact on various scientific, religious and philosophical viewpoints. Although most of those in educated society accepted the theory of evolution, many still challenge its existence despite the wealth of evidence supporting it. Answer these questions using the text to help you. 1. What is Charles Darwin most famous for? Tick one box.

creating a discovering work on natural travelling classification system selection animals 2. Which 5 countries did Charles Darwin visit on HMS Beagle? ______3. What was the name of the book that Charles Darwin wrote in 1859? ______4. Does everybody accept Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution? ______

Find out which animals live on the Galapagos Islands (use the internet if available). Choose some, draw and label their characteristics.

Lesson 3: What happened to the ‘Peppered Moth’? 1. What is an offspring? ______2. What is the name of the famous scientist who created the theory of evolution? ______3. Name 3 characteristics that you might inherit from your parents: ______4. Name 1 characteristic that you might have that is environmental: ______5. What dangers do animals face in their environments? ______

Look at these pictures of foxes (Vulpes). They are all foxes, but over time their characteristics have slightly changed as they have adapted to their environment. Discuss why you think their characteristics have changed over time and why this might be useful.

These foxes all have a common ancestor and in certain environments certain features would have helped specific foxes to survive into adulthood and reproduce, passing on their genetic characteristics, so that eventually certain characteristics end up being ‘selected’ naturally and become the common form of that fox (natural selection). Natural selection occurs in a population as a result of variation so as to respond to a changing environment. Usually, natural selection in the animal world takes place over huge time scales, but that there are examples where it has happened over decades (in microorganisms it happens much quicker) through favourable mutations (random changes in characteristics). Mutations can prove useful in the real game of survival! Write a definition for ‘natural selection’. ______Redraft a definition for ‘natural selection’. ______Does this remind you of other previous science learning where animals have adapted to their environments? ______The Peppered Moth (Adapted from ‘Moth: An Evolution Story’ by Isabel Thomas and Daniel Egnéus)

light form dark form

The story of the peppered moth is a famous example of natural selection, the process behind evolution. Until the early 1800s, most peppered were light with speckled wings. The dark form, spotted for the first time in 1848, was very rare. But fifty years later, the opposite was true. Most peppered moths had dark wings. The light form had almost disappeared. Later, in the 20th century, scientists realised that Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection could explain the transformation of the peppered moth… During the day, peppered moths rest on tree trunks and branches. In the early 1800s, light, speckled wings provided excellent on -covered bark. Dark moths were easier to spot, so they were more likely to get eaten by birds. Light moths were better suited to their environment, so they were more likely to survive and pass on their features to the next generation. This is natural selection. During the Industrial Revolution, a huge increase in air pollution killed and coated trees with a layer of soot. In this changed environment, dark peppered moths had the better camouflage. They became more likely to survive long enough to lay eggs, passing on their dark wings to their offspring. Over time, the proportion of dark moths increased. Through natural selection, the population of peppered moths became better adapted to their new environment. The same process can also lead to evolution, where a group of plants or animals becomes so different from the original group that it becomes an entirely new species. Evolution explains how so many different living things came to be in the world, from tiny moths to modern humans. The peppered moth was able to adapt quickly to the changes in its environment rather than dying out. This gives us hope that other living things will be able to adapt to changes caused by humans, including climate change. The peppered moth continues to tell its story. In the mid 20th century, laws were made to reduce air pollution from smoke to soot. As lichens grew back and trees shed their sooty bark, the proportion of light moths rose again. Today, you can spot both light and dark moths resting on tree. The peppered moth is still evolving. Answer these questions using the text to help you. 1. In what year was the first dark version of the peppered moth seen? ______2. Why did the dark form of the peppered moth become more popular? ______3. Which animal is a peppered moth’s predator? ______4. What is the name of the process where an animal becomes better adapted to its new environment? Tick one.

Industrial Natural Selection Species Climate Change Revolution 5. Do you think the peppered moth will evolve again? Give reasons for your answer. ______

Tell the story of the peppered moth. Can you summarise the story into 6 main points? The first point has been done for you.

Early 1800s – light coloured peppered moths were common and dark moths were rare.

Lesson 4: How are some plants and animals adapted to extreme conditions? Watch BBC i-player episode of ‘Africa – episode 5 ‘Sahaara’. The first 30 minutes is plenty.

Why is the Sahaara Desert an extreme environment? Write your ideas below.

1. How wide can a sandstorm in the Sahaara be? ______2. How does the Naked Mole Rat survive in the Sahaara? (Name as many ways as you can) ______3. What is a mirage and why is it bad for animals in the desert? ______4. Note down any other interesting facts:

Read the descriptions of the environment and match it (by drawing a line) to a living thing that would be able to survive in the extreme conditions. One has been done for you. Ceanothus bushes Temperatures as low as -58C Have heat resistant seeds and need fire for germination. The ceanothus re-grows. The leaves are designed to avoid water loss.

Areas of frequent bush fires Sahara desert ant has long legs that keep it off the Very deep oceans where the hotter sandy floor pressure reaches 1000 times that of the surface. The water is freezing and it is pitch black Lantern fish has light producing organs and high levels of polyunsaturated fats that help keep the pressure inside the Very high mountains (over body the same as outside. They also 2,500m) where oxygen levels have a low metabolism. are low

Andean people living high in the mountains have greater lung capacity and their  Dry places with not water blood can carry a greater volume of  Freezing to -272.8C oxygen than people at lower  Heating to 151C altitudes.  Pressure six times as

great as that felt at the

bottom of the deepest Tardigrades oceans Can switch off their metabolism and  Doses of X-ray and wait for the conditions to improve gamma radiation that are

lethal to other life forms Bark beetle produces a form of antifreeze

Temperatures as high as 50C

This is an icy and snowy environment. Water is locked up in the ice and food is scarce. Temperatures never reach higher than a few degree Celsius during the day and can drop to -40C at night. Plant life is very limited as are insects. Fish is abundant in floes. Major predators include snow bears and foxes. This land is very white.

Design an animal below that would be able to live in this extreme environment. Make sure you label it and can address the following points:

 What does it look like (Fur? Hair? Colour? Skin type?)  What does it eat? How often does it eat?  What other characteristics does it have in order to survive?

Lesson 5: Can evolution be evidenced? 1. Give examples of two characteristics that cannot be inherited from parents. ______2. What is the word that explains the process or change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment? ______3. What was the word that described Charles Darwin’s most famous theory? The theory of ______4. How does a camel survive in such an extreme environment like the Sahaara? Name two ways: ______5. What can you remember learning about fossils? ______Mary Anning: Mary Anning was born on 21 May 1799. She lived in the English seaside town of Lyme Regis in Dorset. Her family were very poor, which meant she didn’t get to attend school much. Instead, she mainly taught herself to read and write.

Mary would spend her time searching the coast looking for what she called ‘curiosities’. Later in her life, as she developed a better understanding of her finds, she realised they were actually fossils.

Over the course of her life she made many incredible discoveries. This made her famous among some of the most important scientists of the day. They would visit her for advice and to discuss scientific ideas about fossils. Today, Mary is remembered as one of the greatest fossil hunters to have ever lived.

Mary's parents were Richard Anning and Mary Moore. As a baby, Mary had a lucky escape when a woman carrying her was struck by lightning.

Mary's family had little money so she spent most days searching the beaches with her brother looking for items to sell. When she was just 12, they discovered the skull of a mysterious creature poking out from a cliff. They thought it might be a crocodile, but what she had discovered was actually an ancient reptile called an ichthyosaur (which means ‘fish lizard’).

Mary went on to make more incredible discoveries in her life, including a long-necked marine reptile called a plesiosaur and a flying reptile called a Dimorphodon.

Use the text to help you to answer the questions. 1. Why didn’t Mary Anning go to school? ______2. By what name did Mary Anning call fossils at first? ______3. What famous fossil did Mary and her brother find on the beach? ______4. Name two other fossils that Mary found. ______5. Do you think that scientists took Mary seriously at the time? Explain your answer. ______Fossils as evidence Compare and contrast the fossils with their modern day counterparts. How are they similar or different? Write your ideas in the boxes below. Are there signs of evolution?

fossil turbot (alive today) turbot skeleton

living fern fossil fossil

Lesson 6: Can the extinction of a species be avoided? Use the WWF website and choose one animal that is nearly extinct. Design a poster about saving that particular animal.