MS-LS4. Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity - Students who demonstrate understanding can:MS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
MS-LS4-5. Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
MS-LS4-6. Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
MS-LS4.CC. Crosscutting ConceptsMS-LS4.CC.1. PatternsMS-LS4.CC.1.2. Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data. (MS-LS4-1), (MS-LS4-3)
MS-LS4.DCI. Disciplinary Core IdeasLS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and DiversityLS4.A:2. Anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living today and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent. (MS-LS4-2)
LS4.A:3. Comparison of the embryological development of different species also reveals similarities that show relationships not evident in the fully-formed anatomy. (MS-LS4-3)
LS4.B: Natural SelectionLS4.B:1. Natural selection leads to the predominance of certain traits in a population, and the suppression of others. (MS-LS4-4)
LS4.B:2. In artificial selection, humans have the capacity to influence certain characteristics of organisms by selective breeding. One can choose desired parental traits determined by genes, which are then passed on to offspring. (MS-LS4-5)
LS4.C: AdaptationLS4.C:1. Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become m