Influence of environment: Islands. Unusual forms of many animals and plants show up on isolated islands - presumably, small groups of mainland organisms got carried there in the distant past and adapted to the local limitations. Answer the following questions about animal types often found on isolated islands, in the spaces provided here.

1. Miniature Versions. Sometimes what evolves on an island is a species much smaller than its mainland relatives, such as pygmy elephants, small deer, horses, et cetera. What sort of island conditions would give an advantage to smaller individuals that wouldn't work on the mainland?

3. Flightless birds. Most species of non-flying birds have developed on islands. Flying has many obvious advantages, but what disadvantages to flying might favor its disappearance in such circumstances?

Connected traits. As we've already seen, new traits build upon features already in place, as would have to be true on a selection process based on variation in a group. See if you can connect the traits listed to another feature that the organism should have.

4. Self-feeding baby birds. Many birds, like chickens, grouse, or ducks, hatch from the egg able to feed themselves, not helplessly dependent on parents like you often think baby birds would be. Among these birds, the adults share a trait that is connected to this ability. What is it?

6. Sexual selection traits. Some animal features are not for survival, but to attract the attention of mates, kind of an advertisement that says, "you should make babies with me, because they'll be more likely to make their own babies." Such features as moose antlers, peacock tails, and human breasts, even jewelry and a fancy car are of this type. But hidden in these sexual selection traits are messages about pure survival. What about such features  makes it reasonable to think that the possessor actually is better able to get the essential resources of life?

8. Symbiotic relationships. Insects commonly see color, but not necessarily the color ranges that people do - and different insects have different ranges. Red flowers are commonly pollinated by beetles but almost never by bees, while purple flowers are often pollinated by bees but not beetles. What does this imply about the senses of beetles and bee?








Bonus Questions. Two Points Each.

Disease Symptoms. Some symptoms of diseases are reflections of our own bodies' attempts to fight off the disease organism, but many have no such function. What other purpose might a symptom like coughing, or sweating, or diarrhea have if NOT part of our defenses?