Topic G3: PAST LIFE AND PAST CLIMATES Key Idea 1: Fossils provide evidence for the increasing diversity of life through geological time Knowledge and Geological Comments understanding techniques and skills The fossil record Interpretation of evolutionary Candidates should be familiar provides evidence of diagrams. with the use of cladograms in changes in floras and showing the relationships faunas through amongst organisms and in the geological time and the development of evolutionary development of higher trees. life forms: Precambrian life: life possibly evolved early in Earth history Candidates should be able to (3.8 billion years evaluate a range of Analysis of the possible ago). The Ediacaran hypotheses (environmental, causes of faunal fauna represents the developmental and ecological) diversification at the oldest diverse set of that have been proposed for Precambrian-Cambrian multicellular, soft the sudden faunal boundary. bodied organisms diversification at the (565 Ma) Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. The Cambrian Explosion: the development of mineralised skeletons led to a wide variety of advanced marine invertebrates by the Candidates will be expected to early Cambrian interpret modes of life from an Life in the ocean Interpretation of simple analysis of vertebrate diversified in stages diversity curves (Sepkoski’s morphologies including: size, identified by curves). shape, dentition (carnivore v separate fauna: a herbivore), pelvis, vertebrae, basic understanding limbs, ornamentation (horns, of the difference plates, feathers). between Cambrian, Palaeozoic and modern faunas
Topic G3: PAST LIFE AND PAST CLIMATES Key Idea 1: Fossils provide evidence for the increasing diversity of life through geological time Knowledge and understanding Geological techniques and skills Comments The fossil record provides evidence of changes in floras and faunas through geological time and the development of higher life forms: Precambrian life: life possibly evolved early in Earth history (3.8 billion years ago). The Ediacaran fauna represents the oldest diverse set of multicellular, soft bodied organisms (565 Ma) The Cambrian Explosion: the development of mineralised skeletons led to a wide variety of advanced marine invertebrates by the early Cambrian Life in the ocean diversified in stages identified by separate fauna: a basic understanding of the difference between Cambrian, Palaeozoic and modern faunas Interpretation of evolutionary diagrams. Analysis of the possible causes of faunal diversification at the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. Interpretation of simple diversity curves (Sepkoski’s curves). Candidates should be familiar with the use of cladograms in showing the relationships amongst organisms and in the development of evolutionary trees. Candidates should be able to evaluate a range of hypotheses (environmental, developmental and ecological) that have been proposed for the sudden faunal diversification at the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. Candidates will be expected to interpret modes of life from an analysis of vertebrate morphologies including: size, shape, dentition (carnivore v herbivore), pelvis, vertebrae, limbs, ornamentation (horns, plates, feathers).
Geology%20Eduqas%20A%20level%20Guidance%20for%20Teaching%20word%20version.docx