Copy of Thursday (02/26) - Evolution Practice & Exit Ticket (5/2/2026)

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Gradualism because the change happens rapidly.

Gradualism because the change is slow and steady.

Punctuated equilibrium because the change was abrupt.

Punctuated equilibrium because gradual differences.

More pressure from the environment increases diversity by causing extinction.

Less pressure from the environment shows fewer changes and maintains low diversity.

Environmental conditions do not impact diversity because organisms choose to adapt to their environments.

The slow change over a long period of time

Rapid/fast changes due to a unstable environment

Body structures that have the same shape but different functions

Body structures that are left behind due to evolution

The slow change over a long period of time

Rapid/fast changes due to a unstable environment

Body structures that have the same shape but different functions

Body structures that are left behind due to evolution

there was gradual change in the species over time

the environment stayed the same

The species changed quickly due to an unstable environment

there was no variation (differences) in the diet of the animals

A series of fossils showing a smooth, continuous transition from an ancestral species to a modern species.

Long periods of time where a species shows little change, followed by the sudden appearance of a distinctly different species.

Fossils showing a linear, steady increase in complexity over time.

Fossil evidence of multiple species gradually blending into one another.

Gradualism emphasizes periods of rapid speciation, while punctuated equilibrium suggests slow, continuous evolution.

Gradualism proposes that species evolve slowly and continuously, whereas punctuated equilibrium suggests long periods of stasis interrupted by bursts of rapid speciation.

Both gradualism and punctuated equilibrium describe identical rates of evolutionary change but emphasize different fossil types.

Punctuated equilibrium suggests that evolution only occurs during extinction events, while gradualism involves adaptation over time.

Extinction events consistently reduce biodiversity, preventing the formation of new species.

Genetic drift causes small, random changes in species over long periods, leading to a slow accumulation of biodiversity.

Long periods of evolutionary stability are interrupted by short bursts of rapid speciation, leading to the sudden appearance of new species.

Biodiversity increases steadily over time as species gradually adapt to environmental changes.

Natural selection operates uniformly across all species, resulting in a constant rate of biodiversity increase.

The environment the common lizard lived in was stable with little changes which maintained low diversity.

The environments in which the common lizard populations lived had variation. Over time, traits developed based on how well adapted they were for their environment.

The environment the common lizard lived in went through multiple extinction events which mutated the DNA of the ancestor.

The environment remained unchanged with no selective pressures for speciation.

Small, isolated populations experiencing rapid environmental changes or niche openings.

Large populations with high genetic diversity spread evenly across a broad geographic range.

A stable environment with minimal ecological disturbances over millions of years.

A constant selective pressure causing steady adaptation across generations.