15 Weird Hobbies That Will Make You Better At Evolution Site
The Academy's Evolution Site
Biology is a key concept in biology. The Academies have long been involved in helping those interested in science understand the theory of evolution and how it affects every area of scientific inquiry.
This site provides teachers, students and general readers with a wide range of educational resources on evolution. It includes key video clip from NOVA and WGBH produced science programs on DVD.
Tree of Life
The Tree of Life, an ancient symbol, symbolizes the interconnectedness of all life. It is an emblem of love and unity across many cultures. It has many practical applications as well, such as providing a framework to understand the history of species and how they react to changes in environmental conditions.
The earliest attempts to depict the world of biology focused on separating species into distinct categories that were distinguished by their physical and metabolic characteristics1. These methods are based on the sampling of different parts of organisms or short fragments of DNA, have significantly increased the diversity of a Tree of Life2. 에볼루션 카지노 사이트 are mostly populated by eukaryotes, and the diversity of bacterial species is greatly underrepresented3,4.
Genetic techniques have significantly expanded our ability to visualize the Tree of Life by circumventing the need for direct observation and experimentation. We can construct trees using molecular techniques such as the small subunit ribosomal gene.
The Tree of Life has been greatly expanded thanks to genome sequencing. However there is still a lot of diversity to be discovered. 에볼루션 블랙잭 is particularly true for microorganisms, which are difficult to cultivate and are often only found in a single specimen5. Recent analysis of all genomes produced an initial draft of a Tree of Life. This includes a large number of archaea, bacteria, and other organisms that have not yet been isolated, or the diversity of which is not thoroughly understood6.
The expanded Tree of Life can be used to determine the diversity of a particular area and determine if particular habitats require special protection. This information can be used in a variety of ways, including finding new drugs, fighting diseases and enhancing crops. The information is also beneficial in conservation efforts. It can help biologists identify those areas that are most likely contain cryptic species with potentially important metabolic functions that could be at risk from anthropogenic change. Although funding to safeguard biodiversity are vital, ultimately the best way to ensure the preservation of biodiversity around the world is for more people living in developing countries to be empowered with the necessary knowledge to act locally in order to promote conservation from within.
Phylogeny
A phylogeny, also called an evolutionary tree, reveals the connections between various groups of organisms. Utilizing molecular data, morphological similarities and differences or ontogeny (the course of development of an organism) scientists can construct a phylogenetic tree which illustrates the evolution of taxonomic groups. The phylogeny of a tree plays an important role in understanding biodiversity, genetics and evolution.
A basic phylogenetic tree (see Figure PageIndex 10 ) identifies the relationships between organisms that share similar traits that evolved from common ancestors. These shared traits could be either homologous or analogous. Homologous traits are similar in terms of their evolutionary path. Analogous traits could appear like they are however they do not have the same ancestry. Scientists arrange similar traits into a grouping known as a the clade. All members of a clade have a common trait, such as amniotic egg production. They all derived from an ancestor who had these eggs. A phylogenetic tree is constructed by connecting the clades to identify the organisms that are most closely related to one another.
Scientists make use of DNA or RNA molecular information to construct a phylogenetic graph which is more precise and detailed. This information is more precise than the morphological data and gives evidence of the evolutionary history of an individual or group. Researchers can use Molecular Data to estimate the evolutionary age of organisms and determine the number of organisms that have the same ancestor.
The phylogenetic relationships between species are influenced by many factors, including phenotypic flexibility, an aspect of behavior that alters in response to unique environmental conditions. This can cause a characteristic to appear more resembling to one species than to another, obscuring the phylogenetic signals. This problem can be addressed by using cladistics, which incorporates the combination of homologous and analogous traits in the tree.
Additionally, phylogenetics can aid in predicting the time and pace of speciation. This information can aid conservation biologists in making choices about which species to safeguard from extinction. In the end, it's the conservation of phylogenetic variety that will result in an ecosystem that is complete and balanced.
Evolutionary Theory
The main idea behind evolution is that organisms alter over time because of their interactions with their environment. A variety of theories about evolution have been proposed by a variety of scientists such as the Islamic naturalist Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274) who proposed that a living organism develop gradually according to its needs and needs, the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) who developed modern hierarchical taxonomy, and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) who suggested that the use or misuse of traits cause changes that can be passed onto offspring.
In the 1930s and 1940s, theories from a variety of fields -- including natural selection, genetics, and particulate inheritance--came together to form the current evolutionary theory synthesis that explains how evolution is triggered by the variation of genes within a population and how those variations change in time as a result of natural selection. This model, called genetic drift mutation, gene flow and sexual selection, is a cornerstone of the current evolutionary biology and can be mathematically described.
Recent developments in evolutionary developmental biology have demonstrated how variation can be introduced to a species by genetic drift, mutations or reshuffling of genes in sexual reproduction and migration between populations. These processes, as well as others like directional selection and genetic erosion (changes in the frequency of the genotype over time), can lead to evolution that is defined as change in the genome of the species over time and the change in phenotype as time passes (the expression of that genotype in the individual).
Incorporating evolutionary thinking into all aspects of biology education can increase student understanding of the concepts of phylogeny as well as evolution. A recent study conducted by Grunspan and colleagues, for example revealed that teaching students about the evidence supporting evolution increased students' acceptance of evolution in a college biology course. To find out more about how to teach about evolution, please look up The Evolutionary Potential of all Areas of Biology and Thinking Evolutionarily A Framework for Infusing Evolution into Life Sciences Education.
Evolution in Action
Scientists have traditionally studied evolution by looking in the past--analyzing fossils and comparing species. They also observe living organisms. However, evolution isn't something that occurred in the past; it's an ongoing process, happening in the present. Viruses reinvent themselves to avoid new drugs and bacteria evolve to resist antibiotics. Animals alter their behavior as a result of the changing environment. The changes that occur are often apparent.
It wasn't until late 1980s that biologists began to realize that natural selection was at work. The reason is that different traits confer different rates of survival and reproduction (differential fitness) and are passed from one generation to the next.
In the past, if one particular allele - the genetic sequence that determines coloration--appeared in a group of interbreeding species, it could quickly become more prevalent than the other alleles. Over time, that would mean the number of black moths in the population could increase. The same is true for many other characteristics--including morphology and behavior--that vary among populations of organisms.
It is easier to observe evolution when a species, such as bacteria, has a high generation turnover. Since 1988, Richard Lenski, a biologist, has been tracking twelve populations of E.coli that descend from one strain. Samples from each population have been collected frequently and more than 500.000 generations of E.coli have been observed to have passed.
Lenski's research has revealed that a mutation can dramatically alter the speed at the rate at which a population reproduces, and consequently the rate at which it alters. It also proves that evolution is slow-moving, a fact that many find hard to accept.
Another example of microevolution is the way mosquito genes for resistance to pesticides are more prevalent in populations where insecticides are used. This is due to pesticides causing an exclusive pressure that favors those with resistant genotypes.
The rapid pace at which evolution can take place has led to a growing appreciation of its importance in a world shaped by human activities, including climate change, pollution, and the loss of habitats which prevent many species from adapting. Understanding the evolution process will help us make better choices about the future of our planet and the lives of its inhabitants.