Since the beginning of this school year, our class has been focusing on Evolution. We learned about Evolution through 3 different pieces. The Cladogram project, Timeline presentation, and the PCR lab. Evolution is the the gradual change in a species over time. Click on the links below to see what we did in each piece of our Evolution unit.
Content:
Evolution- the gradual change in a species over time.
Theory- A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data.
Law- A statement proven to be true.
Natural Selection- An environment allowing certain mutations to become more dominant and killing off the disadvantageous traits.
Adaptation- Advantageous mutations that increase the likelihood of survival.
Survival of the fittest- The best fit organism in an environment will survive.
Micro-evolution- Small scale changes (variation in genes over short periods of time).
Macro-evolution- Large scale changes (makes new formations of species).
Darwin- scientist who developed Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.
Speciation- A new species is formed because of allopatric or sympatric reasons.
Speciation types:
Allopatric- species evolve in different geographic places.
geographic isolation-physical obstacles prevent gene flow between populations.
Sympatric- formation of new species in populations that live in the same geographic area.
reproductive isolation- species cannot mate because they are too genetically different.
behavioral isolation- different mating rituals prevent mating.
temporal isolation- different mating times prevents mating.
Founders effect- loss of genetic mutation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small # of individuals from a larger population.
Genetic Variation- variation of genomes between members of of species, or between groups/species thriving in different parts of the world.
Taxonomy-the study of evolution and classification of organisms.
Genetic Drift- variation in relative frequency of different genotypes in a small population owing to the chance disappearance of particular genes as individuals reproduce.
Reflection:
Throughout the Evolution unit, I learned many useful skills. From using lab tools correctly to understanding DNA. I learned how to use lab tools correctly and efficiently, which is a very important skill. As the year goes by and we do lab work, it will be important that I know how to use tools and what they are for. I also learned new terms and concepts that go with evolution. Because I put my best effort into understanding the projects, I was able to get the most out of them and learn efficiently.
For further reference, I think I can improve on my work ethic. When we are given time to chose which project to work on, it can be hard to stay on task and I need to remind myself what I should be working on. During the next project, I will try to set a timeline for myself so I know how much I should be finishing each day. I also could try to layout my work in words as it was hard to understand what I was looking at by just researching. By making an infographic or chart, I can see what needs to be done and how information connect together.
Overall, this unit was useful, but at times, tedious. Knowing about evolution and lab skills is very important, but it can often be hard to be interested when projects take a long time to complete. I did like the content of the projects, but not the length each one took.
Throughout the Evolution unit, I learned many useful skills. From using lab tools correctly to understanding DNA. I learned how to use lab tools correctly and efficiently, which is a very important skill. As the year goes by and we do lab work, it will be important that I know how to use tools and what they are for. I also learned new terms and concepts that go with evolution. Because I put my best effort into understanding the projects, I was able to get the most out of them and learn efficiently.
For further reference, I think I can improve on my work ethic. When we are given time to chose which project to work on, it can be hard to stay on task and I need to remind myself what I should be working on. During the next project, I will try to set a timeline for myself so I know how much I should be finishing each day. I also could try to layout my work in words as it was hard to understand what I was looking at by just researching. By making an infographic or chart, I can see what needs to be done and how information connect together.
Overall, this unit was useful, but at times, tedious. Knowing about evolution and lab skills is very important, but it can often be hard to be interested when projects take a long time to complete. I did like the content of the projects, but not the length each one took.