Evolution & Ecology
Scavenger Hunt :)
Grant Ratcliffgardy A4
Instructions
➔ Each slide represents a separate scavenger hunt task. All 10 tasks must be completed to earn credit.
➔ The top of each slide lists the instructions for that task.
◆ Each task is different - some may involve taking a picture, while others may involve researching and typing something!
➔ Your submission for that task goes on that slide. If for some reason you don’t have enough room, you can
add another slide (right after the first one) to continue on.
➔ Some slides offer choices!
◆ On those slides, you can choose which of the options to complete!
◆ You must indicate which option you chose by highlighting that option in the instructions. An example is shown below:
Example of a choice slide:
Choose only one of the following:
1. Draw a pretty picture of a bug.
2. Draw a pretty picture of a plant.
^in this example, I indicated that I chose to complete option #1, so I would then insert my picture I drew of a pretty bug on that slide! :)
IMPORTANT: All pictures MUST include proof showing that you, yourself took the picture. The proof must be a piece of paper or index card with the day’s
date, your name, and a star drawn on it :)
TASK #1: Research online to answer these questions. You must use full sentences. Copy and paste the URL of all sources used into the speaker notes.
- What biome is Austin, Texas in?
- What are the typical characteristics of this biome? (precipitation, temperature, typical animal/plant adaptations)
- How has your personal experience in Austin compared to those typical characteristics? Do they match? Why or why not?
-Austin Texas is in a temperate grassland biome.
-The typical characteristics of temperate grasslands are moderate rainfall (10 to 40 inches
annually), mostly in late spring and early summer. Temperate grasslands have hot summers and
cold winters. The plants in temperate grasslands have to adapt to drought, fires, and grazing,
usually done by developing through deep root systems, soft stems, and narrow leaves. The
animals in temperate grasslands usually have developed flatter teeth and hooves to live better
in the environment.
-My personal experience with the environment of austin has been similar to the information i
found, as i’ve experienced moderate rainfall with cold winters and hot summers.
TASK #2: Find one real-life example of living organisms responding and/or adapting to human influence in some way. For this slide:
- Take a picture of it and insert the picture below
- Briefly explain what the picture shows and how the living organism(s) is responding and/or adapting to human influence
An example (that you cannot use btw!) -> A picture showing grass/weeds growing up through the cracks in a sidewalk.
The deer in my neighborhood have adapted
to the human influence around them. You
can see them eating the grass in the lawns,
and I have noticed that they have become
proficient in avoiding cars as they venture in
and across the roads.
TASK #3: Below are the seven levels of conservation, each representing a different level of threat for a species. Research online to figure out the meaning of
each one, and write a brief definition in your own words for each term.
Copy and paste the URL of all sources you use into the speaker notes.
Least Concern - The species has a very low risk of extinction, not threatened or likely to be threatened (as far as current information reveals)
Near Threatened - There is a high probability of this species becoming endangered in the future
Vulnerable - The species has a high chance of going extinct in the wild
Endangered - The species has an even higher chance of going extinct in the wild
Critically Endangered - The species has the highest possible chance of going extinct
Extinct in the Wild - The species now only lives in protected captivity
Extinct - No known living members of the species.
TASK #4: Research one specific endangered species found in Texas. Include a picture of that organism, their genus/species name, their distribution and habitat
within Texas, current estimated population remaining (if known), and describe the threats they are facing/the reason they are endangered. You can choose a
plant OR animal species, it’s up to you!
● Genus: Canis
● Red wolves are found on the Eastern North Carolina
Albemarle Peninsula, specifically in the five-county
area of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington
● There are 17–19 in the wild, and there are 270 in
captivity
● The red wolf population has reduced for three main
reasons: Firstly, humans would kill red wolves for
eating their livestock. Secondly, red wolves habitats
have been suffering reduction with human industrial
expansion. Thirdly many red wolves have been
hybridization with coyotes, leaving a small number of
full red wolves.
TASK #5: Find & take a photo of an a clear example of an adaptation a living organism has. The organism cannot be a human being. Insert the photo to this slide,
and then briefly explain what your picture shows, including what the organism is, what the adaptation is, and how that adaptation likely helps that organism
survive better in its environment.
This is an oak tree in Austin Texas. The oaks ability to
grow through this human made obstruction is
impressive, especially due to the fact that most of the
tree died due to Oak Wilt, which is prevalent in Austin.
TASK #6: Choose one of the following terms to research. Explain what it means, provide at least one example from Texas, and explain. Include a picture of it!
- Invasive species
- Keystone species
An invasive species is a non-native species that
harms the organisms in an environment it is
introduced into. An example of invasive species
in texas is the Salvinia molesta, an aquatic fern
from brazil. It stops the other organisms in its
environment from accessing sunlight and
sufficient oxygen.
A keystone species is a species that is integral to
the structure of an ecosystem. An example of
keystone species in Texas is the North american
beaver. The beavers in Texas are very important
to maintaining the biomes that support the life in
texas, due to the dams the beavers build.
TASK #7: Research online to find and choose one dinosaur species that you think is the coolest, most interesting, and/or most unique. In the space below:
- Write its full binomial name (ex. for humans, it would be Homo sapiens)
- Find & include at least one image showing as accurate an illustration as possible for this dinosaur
- Using bullet points, briefly describe, in your own words and in full sentences, each of the following:
- Its behavior & ecological role (predator, prey, herbivore, carnivore, etc)
- What locations/environments it lived in & when it lived (based on the geologic time scale)
- WHY you picked it as the coolest/most interesting/most unique!!!!
DO NOT PICK OBVIOUS/LAME (no offense) DINOSAUR SPECIES LIKE T REX/VELOCIRAPTORS/ETC. BE CREATIVE, FIND SOMETHING COOL!!! :)))
Include links to all of the sources you used - just list those sources in the “speaker notes” for this slide!
Maaradactylus spielbergi:
-The Maaradactylus is an aerial dinosaur with a wingspan estimate of about
6 meters. The Maaradactylus also has 35 pairs of teeth.
-The Maaradactylus is a carnivorous animal with a fish-based diet.
-The Maaradactylus lived in what is now Brazil during the Lower
Cretaceous period
- As a student pilot who is interested in aviation, I picked the
Maaradactylus because I looked up aerial dinosaurs and the Maaradactylus
looked the coolest out of the dinosaurs that I saw.
TASK #8: Research online to find and choose one EXTINCT species that you think would make the best pet. In the space below:
- Write its full binomial name (ex. for humans, it would be Homo sapiens)
- Find & include at least one image showing as accurate an illustration as possible for this species
- Using bullet points, briefly describe, in your own words and in full sentences, each of the following:
- Its behavior & ecological role (predator, prey, herbivore, carnivore, etc)
- What locations/environments it lived in & when it lived (based on the geologic time scale)
- WHY you think it would make the best pet!
Include links to all of the sources you used - just list those sources in the “speaker notes” for this slide!
The Pyrenean Ibex- Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica
-The Pyrenean Ibex are herbivores, feeding on grasses and herbs.
-These animals lived in parts of France, Portugal, Spain and Andorra, though
infrequently observed in northern areas of the Iberian Peninsula.
-The Pyrenean Ibex lived in the Cenozoic Era, its last surviving member dying on
January 6, 2000.
-I chose the Pyrenean Ibex because I think they look like they could be fierce but
also a friendly companion. I’ve interacted with similar animals like goats, and that
has always been enjoyable.
TASK #9: Clean up our environment! Take a picture of yourself (+anyone else you can convince to do it with you!) picking up and throwing away (or recycling) a
few pieces of trash that you find in nature/on the ground outside/etc. Indoor trash doesn’t count! On this slide:
- Include a picture of the items where you found them naturally
- Include a picture of you throwing them away and/or recycling them
- Include a brief description in the text box letting me know what they items were and where you found them
Do not place something there yourself - there is PLENTY of trash around outside that needs picking up!
I found dirty empty
water bottle in the
dried creek near my
house.
TASK #10: Last but certainly not least - enjoy nature in some way, even if it’s only for 10 minutes! Try to get some family members and/or friends to join you
outdoors. On this slide:
- include at least one picture of you+whoever you brought with you outdoors, enjoying nature in whatever way you choose!
- briefly describe → where, who with, what you did, and a rough estimate of how long
- Ex. This is me and my mom beside a creek next to our house. We went for a walk and stopped to look at some turtles and flowers along the way. We even
saw some baby turtles! Our walk lasted around 30 minutes :)
I went for about a 15 minute walk with my mother in the forest area in my
neighborhood.
