DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

Secunderabad
NACHARAM/ MAHENDRA HILLS

SUBJECT : BIOLOGY WORKSHEET CLASS : X

HEREDITY AND EVOLUTION (Regular 2 )
1. Define evolution.
A. evolution is the sequence of gradual changes which take place in the primitive organism over millions of
years in which new species are produced.
2. 2. Why are traits acquired during the life time of an individual not inherited? State the reason.
A. Because these traits do not bring about any change in the gametic DNA.
3. “Red beetles live in a bush with green beetles. Eventually the number of green beetles increases as
compared to red beetles.”
(a) Give a reason for the increased number of green beetles.
(b) State two advantages of variations.
A. (a) The variation of color change from red to green in the population of beetles offers it a survival advantage
because the green beetle can mix up with green bushes. It cannot be spotted and eaten up by a crow and hence
its population will increase.
(b) Variations help in the survival of species
4. Name and explain the three factors that could lead to the rise of a new species.
A. Factors leading to speciation
➢ (i) Geographical isolation: of a population caused by various type of geographical barriers (such as
mounting range, rivers and seas). This leads to reproductive isolation due to which their no flow of genes
between separated groups of population.
➢ (ii) Genetic drift: is caused by change on the frequencies of particular genes by chance alone

➢ (iii) Natural selection: nature selects the characteristic that gives the survival advantage for the organisms
and is passed on to the next generation.
5. Differentiate an inherited and acquired trait giving an example each.
A. Acquired traits
➢ The traits that are developed during the life time in response to the environment.

➢ Cannot be passed on to future generations as there is no change occurred in the genes or DNA present in
the reproductive cells that is gametes of organisms.
➢ The changes in the non-reproductive cells of an organism cannot be inherited by its offspring.
EG: reduced weight of beetles due to starvation.
❖ Inherited traits
▪ The trait of an organism which is caused by a change in its genes or DNA of the reproductive cells and is
transferred to their off springs are called inherited traits.

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Eg. Change in the colour of beetles
6. What is speciation?
A. Speciation: The process by which new species develop from the existing species is called speciation
7. What are the different ways in which individuals with a particular trait may increase in a population?
A. Refer to Q. No. 4
8.“Two areas of study namely ‘evolution and classification’ are interlinked”. Justify this statement citing an
example.
A. EVOLUTION AND CLASSIFICATION:
• Similarities in organisms will allow is to group them and then study the groups.
• The more characteristics two species will have in common, the more closely they are related. And the more
closely they are related, the more recently they will have had a common ancestor.
• Classification of species is a reflection of their evolutionary relationship.
Eg: A brother and his sister are closely related. They have common ancestor in the first generation, their
parents. A girl and her first cousin are also related but less than her own brother. This is because cousins
have common ancestor in second generation before them that is their grandparents.
9. What is micro-evolution? Does it explain speciation?
A. The changes that happen in the body of an organism which are small but significant is called micro-
evolution. This does not explain as to how new species come into existence.
10. Why are the small numbers of surviving tigers a cause of worry from the point of view of genetics?
A. Small number of surviving tigers mean less number of variations to be found. As variations help the species
to survive, the less number of variations present in small number of tigers may not help them to survive when
there is a sudden change in the climatic conditions which can wipe out the population of tigers.
11. What are the evidences of evolution? List and explain any three.
A. ❖ Evidences of Evolution
▪ Homologous organs
▪ Analogous organs
▪ Fossils
➢ 1. Homologous organs: Organs having same basic structure or same basic design but different function ▪
Homologous organs as evidence of evolution: These organs indicate that they have evolved from a common
ancestral animal which had the basic design limb
EG: Forelimbs (arms) for humans – used for grasping Forelimbs of lizard – used for running Forelimbs of frog –
to pop up its front end Forelimbs of bat and bird – for flying
➢ 2. Analogous organs: Organs having different basic structure or different body design, but have similar
appearance and perform similar function 8.
EG: Wing of an insect and wing of a bird Wings of an insect have a fold of membrane associated with few
delicate muscles whereas birds have wings made of skeleton, flesh and feathers to support flight

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➢ Analogous organs as evidence of evolution: Presence of analogous organs indicate that even the
organisms having organs with different structures can adapt to perform similar functions for their survival
under hostile environment conditions. ❖

3. Fossils ➢ The remains or impressions of dead animals or plants that lived in the remote pest are called
fossils EG: Archaeopteryx – connecting link between reptiles and birds.
➢ It has feathered wings like birds and teeth and tails like reptiles.
12. Expain how the wings of a bat and that of a bird are analogous organs. How do they provide evidence for
evolution?
A. Wings of bats are skin folds stretched mainly between elongated fingers. But the wings of birds are a
feathery covering all along the arm. Both have different body design but are used for the same function ie.,
flying. Hence considered as analogous organs.
Analogous organs as evidence of evolution: Presence of analogous organs indicate that even the organisms
having organs with different structures can adapt to perform similar functions for their survival under hostile
environment conditions.

13. (a) Explain homologous and analogous organs.

(b) Identify the analogous and homologous organs amongst the following.
[ Wings of an insect, wings of a bat, forelimbs of a frog, forelimbs of a human]
A. (a) refer to homologous and analogous organs in Q.No.11
(b) Wings of an insect and wings of a bat are analogous organs whereas forelimbs of a frog, and
forelimbs of a human are homologous organs
14. How do homologous and analogous organs provide an evidence for evolution?
A. Refer to Q.No.11
15. What are fossils? How are they formed? Give two examples.
1. FOSSILS: Fossils are formed by incomplete decomposition of the body of an organism due to lack of
moisture and oxygen • Soft body gets decomposed and the hard parts like skeleton remains as fossils.
• Sometimes even the soft body parts remain as fossil and sometimes the impression remains as
fossils. • Fossils are obtained by digging the earth.
EG: Archaeopteryx – connecting link between reptiles and birds.
➢ It has feathered wings like birds and teeth and tails like reptiles.
16. Will geographical isolation be a major factor in the speciation of self-pollinating or asexually reproducing
organisms? Why or why not?
A. Geographical isolation will not be a major factor in the speciation of a self-pollinating or asexually
reproducing plant species because it does not depend on other plants for its process of reproduction to be
carried out.
17. Can the forelimbs shown in the picture below be considered as homologous organs? Why or why not?
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 A. Yes. because they all are organs having same basic structure or same basic design but different
function ▪
18. Identify the given pictures (a) and (b).
State the importance of their study. Write a short note about them

(a) (b)

A. (a) is Ammonote and (b) is Trilobite

B. Ammonite is a mollusc with flat, coiled, spinal shell which lived in the sea (180
million years ago). Trilobite is a Marine arthropod (400 – 600 million years ago).
19 . How can the age of fossil be determined? State in brief any two methods.

A. Estimation of age of fossils can be done by two methods –

B. ➢ Carbon dating method – (C-14 dating): All living organisms contain some carbon-14 atoms which

are radioactive. Their radioactivity gradually decreases when die. In carbon dating method, the age if

fossils is found by comparing the carbon-14 radioactivity left in fossils with the carbon-14 radioactivity

present in living objects today.

➢ Relative method: When we dig into the earth, we find fossils at different depths. The fossils which

we find in layers closer to the surface of the earth are more recent; the 9 fossils which are found in

deeper layers are older; whereas the fossils found in the deepest layers of earth are the oldest ones.

20. (a) “Our teeth and an elephant’s tusks are homologous organs.” Justify this statement.

(b) What do analogous organs indicate?

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A. (a) Our teeth and elephant tusks are homologous organs because they are organs having same basic

structure or same basic design but different function.

(b) Presence of analogous organs indicate that even the organisms having organs with different structures
can adapt to perform similar functions for their survival under hostile environment conditions.
21. ‘There is no real progress in the idea of evolution. Justify this statement.

A. Evolution is simply the generation of diversity and shaping of diversity by environmental selection. Evolved

species may have more complex body design. That does not mean older designs are inefficient. For example,

bacteria are the simplest life forms but can inhabit most inhospitable habitats like hot springs, ice caps, deep-sea

thermal vents etc. In other words, human beings are not the pinnacle of evolution but simply another species in

the teeming spectrum of evolving life.

22. Bacteria have a simpler body plan when compared with human beings. Does it mean that human beings are

more evolved than bacteria? Provide a suitable explanation.

A. Refer to Q.No.21

23. All the human races like Africans, Asians, Europeans and others might have evolved from a common

ancestor. Provide few evidences in support of this view.

A. There is no biological basis to the notion of human races. All humans are a single species ie., Homo

sapiens that have come from Africa. Some of our ancestors migrated slowly and spread across the planet from

Africa to West Asia, Central Asia, Eurasia, South Asia, East Asia. They did not travel in a single line but went

forward and backward.

24. Give one example of an evolutionary change produced in an organism for one purpose which later on

becomes more useful for different functions.

A. Evolution of feathers

• Birds evolved feathers as a means of providing insulation to their bodies in cold weather but later they

became more useful for flying.

• Birds, however adopted feathers for flying.

• The presence of feathers on birds tell us that they are very closely related to reptiles because dinosaurs

(which had feathers) were reptiles.

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25. . In evolutionary terms, can we say which among bacteria, spiders, fish and chimpanzees have a better body

design? Why or why not?

A) No, because different designs are the product of evolution and different species have different body design

to suit or adapt to their environment. So every body design is unique to itself.

26 . Why are human beings who look so different from each other in terms of size, colour, and looks said to

belong to the same species?

A) All human beings are a single species called Homo sapiens. A species is a population of organisms

consisting of similar individuals which can breed together and produce fertile offspring.

27. Name the tools for tracing human evolution.

A). Excavating , time dating and studying fossils , as well as determining DNA sequences are some of the

tools for tracing human evolution.

28. Explain that evolution has occurred by stages giving the example of planaria.

A. EVOLUTION BY STAGES

➢ Evolution of eyes

• Eye is a complicated structure which cannot be generated by a single DNA change

• The first formed eyes were that of a flat worm (Planaria) and were basic rudimentary eye – spots which

could detect light. Later more and more complex eyes were evolved.

29.What evidence do we have for the origin of life from inanimate matter? Write the composition of mixture

used by Miller and Urey in their experiment.

A) Refer the box of “Do you know”in NCERT Text book on Page No. 150.

30. How has artificial selection helped to get different character in an organism? Explain with the help of an

example.

A. Refer to artificial selection in the notes