1. Module 4 Intro

1.2. In this Module

In This Module

Module 4—Mechanisms of Population Change

In This Module

 

Lesson 1—Adaptation, Variation, and Natural Selection

 

Unless you are an identical twin, the only other human who looks the same as you is your reflection. Humans have many differences between them that create unique individuals. In this lesson you will look at these variations and see how they can help humans survive.

 

The following questions will be explored in this lesson:

  • How do mutations create species variability?
  • Why is sexual reproduction important to the process of evolution?
Lesson 2—Developing Theories to Explain Change

 

Modern theories explain evolution on a global scale. There are also theories that became the foundation for how scientists view evolution within populations.

 

The following questions will be explored in this lesson:

  • How do theories explaining evolutionary change compare?
  • What theories attempt to explain the pace of evolutionary change?
Lesson 3—Evidence for Evolution

 

You have seen the proof supporting evolution if you have ever looked at a dinosaur fossil. Organisms have changed over time, and there is a substantial amount of evidence to show these changes.

 

The following question will be explored in this lesson:

  • What proof is there that present-day species evolved from ancestral forms?
Lesson 4—How New Species Form

 

Dinosaurs and humans never existed during the same time period. Humans (Homo sapiens) became a species about 150 million years after dinosaurs ruled Earth.

 

The following question will be explored in this lesson:

  • What conditions are necessary for speciation?

Module Assessment

 

You will be graded according to the work you complete for the lesson assignments and the module project. The module project is the final assignment for Module 4. See the Module Summary and Assessment section for more information about the module project.