POGIL Biology I – Introduction to life on earth
This exercise explores the origins of life on earth. It will introduce the basic concepts of biological evolution, deep time, and the major organismal divisions in the biological world. Today you will explore our broad conceptual models of these processes.
Model 1
TIME LINE: CHRONOLOGY OF LIFE ON EARTH
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Model 2
Using the diagrams above, your textbook, and your note set, answer the following questions.
1. In model 1, what do the letters ‘bya’ and ‘mya’ stand for?
2. According to model 1, when did the earth come into existence?
3. According to model 1, when did the first bacteria come into existence? What about the first photosynthetic bacteria?
4. What does the term ‘eucaryote’ mean?
5. What affects did the accumulation of oxygen have on living organisms?
6. How long ago did the dinosaurs become extinct?
7. Model 1 suggests that very profound changes, an evolution, in living organisms occurred on the earth with the passage of time. Provide a definition of the terms ‘evolution’ and ‘biological evolution’.
8. Model 2 is an evolutionary tree showing proposed evolutionary relationships between modern humans and fossil hominids. What does each branch point represent?
9. In model 2, what does H. stand for? A.?
10. In model 2, is Homo erectus more closely related to Homo sapiens or Paranthropus bosei? How can you tell?
11. Where do the evolutionary events in model 2 occur on the timeline of model 1 (mark and describe the spot on the timeline)?
12. The photographs show five skulls. Describe differences and similarities between them.
13. The numbers show the cranial capacity in cubic centimeters. Represented are Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Cro Magnon man, and fully modern human. Label the photographs with correct name. Which ones are fossils?
14. There are no Australopithecenes alive today. What happened to them?