Lesson summary for...

Evo in the news: More than morphology

Author/Source: UC Museum of Paleontology
Overview:This news brief, from August 2006, describes recent research on T. rex, with a special focus on how paleontologists move beyond the shape of the animal's bones to learn about aspects of its life that don't fossilize very well: its physiology, sensory abilities, and population dynamics.
Concepts:This lesson covers the following concepts:
  • Life forms of the past were in some ways very different from living forms of today, but in other ways very similar.
  • Present-day species evolved from earlier species; the relatedness of organisms is the result of common ancestry.
  • The fossil record provides evidence for evolution.
  • There are similarities and differences among fossils and living organisms.
  • We can learn about the natural world using our senses and extensions of our senses.
  • Scientific ideas are developed through reasoning.
  • The story of the evolution of living things is always being refined as we gather more evidence.
  • Scientists use fossils (including sequences of fossils showing gradual change over time) to learn about past life.
Grade Level:9-12
Time:15 minutes
Teacher Background:Explore these links for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson:
Teaching Tips:This article includes a set of discussion and extension questions for use in class. It also includes hints about related lessons that might be used in conjunction with this one.