Island syndrome

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/island-syndrome

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic isolation?A primary driver of island syndrome, leading to unique evolutionary paths
2. Why do some island animals become bigger or smaller?When there are fewer predators or less food, animals can grow very large or very small. This is called island gigantism or dwarfism, depending on the size change.
3. How do island birds lose the ability to fly?Without predators to chase, flying uses too much energy. So over time, their wings shrink and their legs get stronger for walking or running.

Founder Effect: The loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals.
Adaptive Radiation: The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.
Anthropogenic: Originating in human activity.