This document contains a complex exercise. It focuses on marsupials as an application of the knowledge and skills acquired on evolution in general.

The exercise is tailored to require 135 min of work when done in "one sitting" and in writing.

It includes the solutions and references to the following competencies:

General Competencies: 

-        I can purposefully extract information from written sources.

-        I can make (a) fact(s) or circumstance(s) clear by describing the involved elements and pointing out causal correlations between them (explain)

-        I can make a more or less abstract issue clear by describing the involved elements and pointing out causal correlations using a specific example (illustrate).

-        I can display similarities and differences of circumstances, objects, organisms or processes in a verbal or tabular manner (compare)

-        I can give a judgement by myself that is based on facts and logical conclusions (evaluate).

-        I can trace back a circumstance to a rule, biological law or causal relation (give reasons).

-        I can evaluate the pros and cons to a statement or question (discuss).

-        I can describe models of biological phenomena.

-        I can analyze models of biological phenomena, and I can evaluate them with regard to their representative power.

-        I can analyze given or collected data to identify correlations and/or patterns.

-        I can apply algorithms and mathematical formulas to analyze scientific phenomena.

Competencies on Evolution: 

-        I can explain the evolution of specific examples of species according to the theories of evolution of Lamarck and Darwin and compare both approaches. 

-        I can describe how the evolutionary factors mutation, recombination, genetic drift, isolation, and selection work, and I can explain their respective importance for evolution (synthetic theory of evolution).

-        I can describe how the evolutionary factors (mutation, recombination, genetic drift, isolation, selection) interact and explain their interactions using specific examples.

-        I can describe, explain, and compare different conceptions of the term “species”.