Science Week Lesson: KS3 - From Scales to Tails: The Evolution and Adaptation of Reptiles

Follow-up activities:

Activity 5: Examine the reptile evolution timeline and analyse how climate, predators and food sources influenced physical changes. Identify the adaptations that helped reptiles survive in various environments.

Climate Influence on Reptile Evolution

• Temperature Adaptations: How did changing climates affect reptile body temperature regulation? For example, the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life required reptiles to adapt to fluctuating environmental temperatures.
• Water Conservation: Consider how reptiles developed adaptations like waterproof skin and the ability to store water to survive in arid environments.
• Evolution of Egg-Laying: The evolution of amniotic eggs allowed reptiles to reproduce on land, avoiding the need for water-based reproduction seen in amphibians.

Predators and Survival Strategies

• Defensive Adaptations: What physical traits did reptiles evolve to avoid predators (e.g., armour, camouflage, venom)?
• Size and Strength: How did larger size or stronger physical traits (e.g., stronger jaws) help certain reptiles survive against larger predators?
• Speed and Agility: Discuss how certain reptiles evolved to be faster or more agile to escape predators (e.g., the evolution of lizards’ ability to run quickly).

Food Sources and Adaptation

• Teeth and Diet: How did changes in diet (e.g., from herbivorous to carnivorous) lead to changes in teeth structure, jaw strength and digestive systems?
• Foraging and Hunting: How did adaptations like improved vision, stronger limbs or specialised appendages help reptiles hunt or forage for food?
• Specialised Diets: Discuss reptiles that adapted to specific food sources, such as herbivores with specialised teeth to grind plants, or carnivores with sharp teeth for hunting.

Physical Changes Over Time

• Body Structure: How did physical features like limb development, body size and skin texture evolve in response to environmental pressures like terrain or climate?
• Adaptations in Fossil Records: What physical evidence from the fossil record shows how reptiles adapted to different climates, diets or predation over millions of years?