8+Does+evolution+stop+with+an+ideal+form?

**Does evolution stop with an ideal form?** **a. Describe a potential explanation for the phenomenon of interest** Evolution will never have an "ideal form" because the environment is always changing. As the environment changes, organisms also change. **b. Use the data collected as evidence to support this explnation** For example, an organism will evolve into what is needed in order to survive better in its habitat. The organism is going to able to adapt. One example of this is something we had studied earlier this year, the Thorn Bug. Today there is not just one form of the Thorn Bug. This is because two different populations of the same species might have different adaptations in different environments. The thorn bug's appearce is an adaptation that makes preditors less likely to see it and eat it. This adaptation makes it possible for the thorn bug to survive and reproduce.Two populations may continue to evolve to the point that they are different species.There are multiple modern day thorn bugs, as shown in the picture. **c. Acknowledge any other possible explanation that might fit the data.** Another possible explanation was a theory of Jean- Baptiste Lamarck. Lamarck proposed that changes to the environment could cause an organisms behavior to change, leading to greater use or disuse of an organ or a structure. Because of this, the structure would change in size. From there, the organsims would pass these changes to the offspring. Lamarck's idea was called the inheritance of aquired characteristics. He didn't however explain how the traits would be passed to offspring and because of this, his possible explaination of how organisms evolve was flawed. **d. Describe how and if the intitial model of this phenomenon should change in the light of the evidence** No, it doesn't need to change. The evidence supported the answer that organisms do change in order to adapt to survive better in their environment. They only change when they need to according to their environment and its changes. Another great example of this is the finches that Darwin studied whos beaks were different based on the food they ate.