Hi All,
This week we will be discussing Origin of Species, Evolution and Natural Selection. We will view some of the video materials around this topic, have discussions and you will blog about it by Friday. Be sure to watch the Mating Game for fun here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/sex/mating/index.html
Post answers to in-class questions on the blog this week, also.
Our class will be held later on Thursday - 4:30-5:45 pm and a Pizza Party, too. Please come prepared to discuss your research topic. Ms. Riley and Jacobs will join us Thursday to kick off the action component and talk about IdeaFest, etc.
Be sure to order your book from one of these book sellers, or others asap.
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Science-Matters-Achieving-Scientific-Literacy/dp/0307454584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263419240&sr=1-1
Barnes and Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/ISBNInquiry.asp?r=1&IF=N&EAN=9780307454584&cm_mmc=Google%20Book%20Search-_-k118169-_-j14953980-_-Googe%20Book%20Search%20(non-B%26N%20Imprint)
Have a great week.
Dr. E
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1. According to the video what is natural Selection?
ReplyDelete-The process by which the strong live and procreate, and the weak die and eventually become extinct
2. What is the evidence for Natural Selection?
-Mutations in anivmals that eventually (if they help the animal) become prominent throughout that specific species. Those in that species that do not recieve that trait will eventually die off if that trait affects their chance of survivability.
3. What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study?
-He discovered the theory of Natural selection and identified it as the most important backing behind the theory of evolution
4. Describe the humingbird adaption; why and how did it occur?
-The adaption that was viewed by the scientists was humingbirds with longer bills. This adaption occured because the huming birds came into contact with flowers that had longer openings to the nectar within them. And so the birds with longer bills survived while those with shorter bills left or died off.
5a. What were the factors that influenced the pollenpeepers success in their new habitats?
-The presence of predators on their island
-How close that island is to the main land
-Food quatities on that island
-Weather
-Competition between birds within that species of humingbird as well as other species who compete for the same food and living space
5b. What adaptations made pollenpeepers successful
-On certain islands with bigger flowers, adaptions such as longer bills made the pollenpeeers successful.
-A change in color on the farthest island could have possibly been advantageous because that could increase the birds natural camoflage, and it could also be geered to mating to attract the opposite sex better.
James Clark
1. What is natural selection?
ReplyDeleteThe survival of the fittest organisms over the less well adapted.
2.What is the evidence of natural selection?
Fossil records and historical and current observations of nature.
3.What did Darwin do to impact the study?
He wrote "The Origin of the Species"
4.Describe the humming bird adaptation.
Humming bird beaks vary in size depending upon the flowers they depend on. Longer beaks being generally superior to shorter beaks.
5. What factors influenced natural selection for the birds?
Competition, food source, number of predaters, lay of the land, and plant life.
The inclass exercise with the laptops was interesting and helped exemplify some of the concepts we were discussing.
I like to say that this weeks class was very interesting. We learned plenty about natural selection and evolution. It was especially interesting to finish on the topic of island ecology and evolution. I also thought the web activity was well worth our time and gave us a good insight about evolution.
ReplyDelete1.According to the video what natural selection?
It is the survival and succession of certain traits in a species that help them survive in their current habitat.
2.What is the evidence of natural selection.
Humming Birds, Molecular data, gene sequencing, and observations.
3.What did Darwin do to impact the study.
Darwin was the key person who set the frame work in place so that these types of studies can be done.
4.Desecribe humming birds adaptations.
Humming birds have started to evolve to have longer beaks so they can accesses nectar in larger longer flowers.
5.What factors influenced natural selection for the birds?
Competition for food and the change in their food source.
Questions
ReplyDeleteAccording to this video what is natural selection? - Natural selection is the survival of certain species based on the traits they have.
What is the evidence for natural selection? - The evidence is all around us, it is all the changes that species have made in order to survive. It can be seen in the hummingbird's long beak, or the giraffe's long neck for example.
What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study? - Darwin was the discover of the idea of natural selection and some evidence to support it.
Describe the hummingbird adaption? Why did it occur and how? - Over time, the beaks of hummingbird became long because that was the trait needed for birds to get nectar out of flowers. So, those with short beaks died out and were eventually gone, leaving only those with long beaks to pass down the trait.
5. What are the factors that influenced the pollenpeeper's success in each of the new habitats? - The distance between the island and the mainland, the number of predators, the food supply on the island, and the competition level on the island.
Class Discussions/Activities
Tuesday (01/26) - In class, we discussed Evolution and Natural Selection. We watched a video titled How Does Evolution Work. In groups we explored how birds adapted to the new islands they inhabited.
Thursday (01/28) - In class, we heard the rest of the presentations by Ms. Riley and Ms. Jacobs. In groups we figured out what topic we wanted to do for the projects and began researching them.
1. Natural selection at its simplest terms would be the survival of the fittest.
ReplyDelete2. The evidence for natural selection is all around us today and you can see it by looking at how any animal in any given place has adapted to fit the best into is surroundings, as well as looking at fossil records.
3. Darwin was the first person do substantial studies on the process of survival of the fittest and since then his work has been the basis for all previous studies.
4. When you look at different species of humming birds the ones that eat from plants they have long skinny flowers have developed long skinny beaks so they can reach the nectar easier than ones with short beaks.
5. Many factors influence natural selection in the birds such as; competition, predation, distance of the island from the mainland, and supply of food, as well as the types of food they eat.
Questions
ReplyDelete1. According to this video what is natural selection?
Natural selection is a survival mode of a species; it is a way of adapting to the environment.
2. What is the evidence for natural selection? –
Natural selection can be seen all around us. For example, giraffes have long necks; elephants have trunks, and a variety of bird have unique beaks.
3. What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study?
Darwin devised the idea and foundation of natural selection.
4. Describe the hummingbird adaption? Why did it occur and how?
The humming bird adaptation was the long narrow beak. This occurred through genetic variation because the birds needed to get the nectar out of the flowers.
5. What are the factors that influenced the pollenpeeper's success in each of the new habitats?
The factors that influenced the pollenpeeper’s success in each of the new habitats were: distance from the mainland, food supply, competition factors, and the number of predators on the island.
Class Activities/Discussion:
This weeks activities were helpful in introducing the action component of this class. We were able to study the adaptations of birds on islands, which is similar to the research being done by Ms. Riley and Jacobs. On Thursday, our group discussed what topic we wanted to do for the action component. We selected competition because it would be easy to do an activity with kids at various grade levels.
What is natural selection?
ReplyDeleteNatural selection refers to things best adapted for survival; survival of the fittest.
What is the evidence for natural selection?
The plants and animals all around us are evidence. These species have adapted to their surrounding environments which has enabled them to survive.
What did Darwin do to impact this study?
Darwin impacted this study through his theory of natural selection.
Describe the hummingbird adaptation. How and why did it occur?
As time passed, the hummingbird evolved into having a longer beak in order to be able to feed of flowers that were longer. This adaptation enabled them to survive.
What were the factors of the success of the pollenpeepers in each new habitat?
Some factors of the pollenpeepers success included their food source & variety of food, the number of predators present, and their distance from the mainland are just a few.
Class:
This week in class we discussed Darwin’s theory of natural selection and used the laptops to view an interactive presentation about the adaptations of pollenpeepers. On Thursday, we continued our discussion about the Channel Islands in preparation for our IDEAfest projects.
1. What is natural selection? Natural selection is the driving forse of evolution, which aims to maximize fitness within a population through selective pressure over many generations.
ReplyDelete2. According to the video what evidence is there for natural selection? The scientists in the video employed gene sequencing and observed changes in the hummingbirds' bill length in response to changes in flower shape.
3. What was Charles Darwin's impact on the hummingbird study? Darwin introduced the paradigm of evolution to the world which serves as the framework for understanding biological change over a large time scale.
4. Describe the hummingbirds' adaptation. How? Why? The hummingbirds' bill length/shape adapts to flower shape/length over many generations. The birds possessing bills which are best fit for collecting nectar are likely to reproduce offspring with bills of similar size/shape. Over many generations this character will poliferate throughout the population.
5. What were the factors involved in the pollenpeepers' success on the newly colonized islands? The selective pressures influencing the colonized birds included prey abundance and diversity, competition, and changes in climate. The birds were also influence by the geography of their new found homes (size/location) which impacts gene flow and the previously mentioned factors.
Class Activities/Discussion:
This week in class we began the action component of the course. In order to have a better understanding of our topic we discussed the theory of evolution in our groups. After discussing the topic and Ms. Jacobs' lecture our group decided to focus on human impacts on migration. We chose this approach because it not only involves science, but also focuses humans impact on these "natural laboratories". This will hopefully engage our students for it incorporates, rather than removes, people into the scientific equation.
I liked the class on Tuesday as I learned a lot about natural selection and evolution. I wish I could have been at class on Thursday that I missed for work. I wanted to listen to the speakers finish their talk about the island ecology.
ReplyDelete1. What is natural selection? It is “survival of the fittest” meaning the animals that adapt to their environment survive and the ones that don’t adapt die.
2. What is the evidence for natural selection? The evidence is different adaptations in the same species that help them survive in their environment.
3. What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study? He discovered the theory of Natural Selection and was the one to notice how animals adapted and developed in their environment.
4. Describe the hummingbird adaptation and why did it occur? The hummingbird developed a longer beak so it was able to reach the nectar that was deep in the flowers easier.
5. What were the factors that influenced the pollenpeepers success in their new habitats? The factors were the presence of predators on the island, the proximity of the island to the mainland, the food quantities on the island, the weather, and the competition for food within the bird species. On islands with bigger flowers the pollenpeepers developed longer beaks.
Tuesday
ReplyDeleteNatural Selection with Darwin's Theory:
over production of offspring
genetic variation
struggle for existence
differential survival & reproduction
This was basic biology and the base theory behind my biology major.
Questions
1.According to this video, what is natural selection? The 4 listed above and survival of the fittest.
2.Where is the evidence? All around us and what plants and animals are around currently.
3.what did Darwin do that did impact on this study? He studied the theory of evolution and made the 4 theories.
4.Describe the hummingbird adaptation- how and why did this occur? The longer beak, natural selection to adapt to longer necked flowers in the surrounding environment.
5.What were the factors of the success for birds in new habitats? Evolution, island diversity (being closer to mainland with a better chance for a reoccuring cycle of species), larger range of food, predation levels are lower.
Thursday:
Lynn Riley was a guest speaker to finish talking about the Islands and Bridget talked about our projects we are planning. Good team work with getting things planned and I look foward to getting the project underway
1. According to the video what is natural Selection?
ReplyDeleteNatural Selection is survival of the fittest but it is also the longetivity and reproduction of the best adapted for the specific environment of the species.
2. What is the evidence for Natural Selection?
Any species you examine deep enough will show minor adaptations through time that enable the species to continue living in changing environments.
3. What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study? Darwin is pretty much the father of the evolution theory and so has a profound impact on the study. Eventually the theory would have emerged but Darwin was the first to truly explore it in depth.
4. Describe the humingbird adaption; why and how did it occur? The hummingbird beak adaptation illustrates how species adapt to their respective environments. Hummingbirds that lived around small pedaled flowers developed shorter beaks because that was the best length for their specific flowers. Hummingbirds in other areas that lived in environments with longer pedaled flowers developed longer beaks because shorter beaks were inefficient to reach the bottom of the flower and so longer beaked hummingbirds had a much better chance of survival in those areas.
5a. What were the factors that influenced the pollenpeepers success in their new habitats?
Factors included the food supply, competition, the amount of predators, and the proximity of the island to other islands and the mainland.
5b. What adaptations made pollenpeepers successful
The pollenpeepers adapted depending on the food supply among other things for each island. These adaptations included beak length and feather colors.
This week was very informative on the theory of natural selection and evolution. Thursday gave my group a great start on our action component as we got our topic picked (Island Colonization) and the island picked out for which we will base our lesson plan on. And free pizza always helps :)
1. According to the video what is natural Selection?
ReplyDelete--Traits that are advantageous to the environment for survival live to carry the genetics and those who do not have the environmentally advantageous traits will not survive to carry on their genetics.--
2. What is the evidence for Natural Selection?
--The animals that have mutations and/or traits that are advantageous in the environment will live to pass the advantageous traits to future generations. Over time becoming the more prominent traits for the species. The animals that do not have mutations that are advantageous in the environment will eventually die off. --
3. What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study?
--He developed the theory of Natural Selection, giving evidence to the theory of evolution that impacts the study.--
4. Describe the hummingbirds adaptation. Why and how did it occur?
--The hummingbirds had longer beaks in certain environments than other hummingbirds in other environments. The hummingbirds with longer beaks were in an environment that had flowers with longer funnels in the blooms. The hummingbirds with shorter beaks were in an environment that had flowers with short funnels in the blooms. The hummingbirds adapted to their environment in order to obtain food more easily causing the difference in the bill sizes.--
5. What were the factors that influenced the pollenpeepers success in their new habitats?
--The size of the island. Bigger the better.
--The distance the island was from the mainland. Closer the better.
--The availability of food sources on the island.
--The weather.
--The presence of predators on the island.
--The presence of competition on the island.
6. What adaptations made pollenpeepers successful?
--The size and shape of the beaks to obtain food more easily.
--The color and size of the feathers to help find mates and hide from predators.
1.What is natural selection?
ReplyDelete-Survival of a species to use their strongest genes or heritable traits to acquire new stronger abilities to adapt to an environment and reproduce.-
2.According to the video what evidence is there for natural selection?
-Survival and reproduction-
3.What was Charles Darwin's impact on the hummingbird study?
-He introduced the framework for understanding biological change over a large time scale.-
4.Describe the hummingbirds' adaptation. How and why did it occur?
->Adaptation of using longer beck to help them catch food or dig for food in flowers
->Smaller beaked birds either died off when in a larger flower environment or migrated to a smaller flower environment
5.What were the factors involved in the pollenpeepers success on the newly colonized islands?-
The size of the island made the pollenpeeper ->very diverse population where they could grow and produce stronger heritable traits through the generation.
->The introduction of new food sources such as insects cause the beaks to grow in order to acquire sustainable food plots. The reduction of predator type animals declined over time too. Which could mean that the pollenpeeper was using its strong beak to fend off predators or that they got smarter or their predators were no longer a threat to them.
->The change in colors over millions of years maybe used for the pollenpeeper to mate, not look like a food that predators would like or for camouflage. Therefore a strategically component along with the long beaks in the evolutionary tree of the pollenpeeper.
1. What is natural selection according to the video? The driving force for evolution in living organisms. The gradual change over time due to different selection pressures for traits that will have an advantage in certain circumstances for a population
ReplyDelete2. What is evidence for natural selection? The humming bird evidence. How the birds eventually developed longer beaks in an area with deeper flowers
3. What did Darwin do? He developed the concept for evolution by natural selection and provided the frame work.
4. Describe the Humming bird adaptation. They developed a longer beak for gathering nectar more efficiently.
5. What were the facotrs that influenced the pollenpeepers succes in their new habitats?
-Competition -Food resources
-Habitat -Predation
-Climate
6. What adaptations made pollenpeepers successful? The developed different styles of beaks where gathering insects, seeds, or fruit more efficiently. They also developed different feather patterns and colors to hide from predators.
The activity on the computers was really interesting. We did something similar in a biology class I took awhile ago. I believe they are very useful in teaching evolution and adaptations.
I was especially interested in the speakers presentation on Thursday. Her project is similar to what I'm going to be doing in the future and I'm really looking forward to see her final product and results
What is natural selection?
ReplyDelete- Natural Selection is the genetic maintenance of desirable traits for a specific environment. In other words, "survival of the fittest."
- What is the evidence from natural selection?
Evidence for natural selection includes the variation among similar species in different environment, as well as the similarities between different species in the same environments.
What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study?
- Darwin studied finches in the Galapagos Islands and observed that on each island the finch species differed because of different circumstances. Their beaks differed in shape because of the seeds on each island to eat.
Describe the hummingbird adaptation; why did it occur and how?
- The hummingbird adaptation is what happened with their beak shapes and sizes. Depending on the island they were on, and whether or not the island held more insects, seeds, or flowers, their beaks adapted and varied.
What are the factors that determine the Pollenpeepers success in each of the new habitats?
- Facts that determine the Pollenpeepers success are seeds, insects, and flowers that determine beak size and shape to help their success. An example is one variation that has a longer beak because they started eating more flowers over time than the rest of the population
In class this week we learned many interesting things about evolution and natural selection. The mating game was fun to play and provided clues about how similar very different species can be. The speakers in our class this week also gave us a lot of great information for our semester topics, and it was also very interesting to hear about the California Channel Islands and the diversity there. I had no idea a place like that was so close to the USA mainland.
What is natural selection?
ReplyDelete- It is the driving force of evolution. It works on the idea that genetics that have advantagous characteristics associated to survival are passed on in offspring. This occurs several times until most of the species shares the characteristic.
- What is the evidence from natural selection?
Evidence can be seen in bird species. Some environments will be better for birds of larger beaks or smaller beaks and thus, generally will produce more offspring that their opposite counterparts. Thus, eventually a time will come where the birds in the area will show these characteristics.
What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study?
- Aboard the Beagle, Darwin traveled the Galapagos Islands to ivestigate finches. He proposed the idea of natural selection after seeing differences in finches that fit their environment. He then came to the conclusion that environmental pressures were causing the finches with specific advantagous traits to prosper and reproduce.
Describe the hummingbird adaptation; why did it occur and how?
- The hummingbird adaptation was their beak size. This was caused by environmental pressures. Most of the flowers in the area were deep and required longer beaks. Thus, the birds with slightly longer beaks kept reproducing until the long beaked hummingbirds showed up.
What are the factors that determine the Pollenpeepers success in each of the new habitats?
- Seeds, insects, and flowers seemed to determine beak size and shape. A beak size and shape that matches the environment is what will prosper most.
In class I gained new insight on natural selection and the forces that drive evolutionary change. I also learned alot about California's Channel islands. I found San Clemente Island the most interesting. I found it interesting that the Navy uses island as a bombing range and training ground when so many unique species live there.
1. According to the video what is natural selection?
ReplyDeleteAnimals with the strongest traits survive and reproduce. The weaker of the species die out.
2. What is the evidence for natural selection?
Species change and grow over time. Mutations can help or hinder a species. We continue to see natural selection today within earth's current populations. There are fossil records that have recorded changes in the past as well.
3. What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study?
He founded the Natural Selection theory and wrote "The Origin of the Species."
4. Describe the humingbird adaptation; why and how did it occur?
The humingbird gradually started to grow longer beaks. The flowers were harder to feed from and so the birds with the long beaks could feed from more plants better than the ones that had shorter beaks. The short beaks eventually died off.
5.a What were the factors that influenced the pollenpeepers sucess in their new habitats?
- island location
- number of predators
- weather
- available food
- competition
5.b What adaptations made pollenpeepers successful?
-longer beaks to feed on more flowers
-color change on the island increased camoflage for the bird's safety
In class we discussed our group project ideas and decided on a main topic.
This was a very interesting week of class. The most interesting thing was when we looked at the website about the pollenpeepers. Being able to click on the different islands, and finding out the differences in food, climate, predators, etc. was very interesting, and being able to compare them with the surrounding islands. Then on each island, there was a timeline from 5 million years to present time, and for each million years, it progressively showed how the bird had changed. Whether it was the growth of the beak, or changes in color, it was cool to see. On some of the islands the birds changed drastically, and then on the other they barely changed at all. So, I think this interactive website is a very good tool, and it would be really good for kids to look at, even if they're not studying those certain kind of birds, but it is important to be able to observe the changes that happen.
ReplyDelete1. According to the video, what is natural Selection?
-It is the process by which the strong survive and the weak die and eventually become extinct because of their weak traits.
2. What is the evidence for Natural Selection?
-The evidence shows that mutations in animals can eventually help the species become prominent because of those specific traits that enhance their chance for survival. There are some animals in that species that will not receive that trait and will eventually die off because that trait affects their chance of surviving.
3. What did Darwin do that had an impact on this study?
-He mainly discovered the Natural selection theory and identified it as the most important part behind the theory of evolution.
4. Describe the hummingbird adaption; why and how did it occur?
-The adaption that they found was essentially the change to a longer beaks. This adaption occurred because the hummingbirds were in a habitat with flowers that had longer openings to the nectar within them. So, the birds that had adapted longer beaks survived while those with shorter beaks gradually died off because they're characteristics were not helping them to survive in that particular environment.
5. What were some of the factors that influenced the pollenpeepers success in their new habitats? What adaptations made pollenpeepers successful?
a. The presence of predators on their island, how close the island is located to the main land, the climate or weather, the amount of food on the island, and if there are any other competing species for space or food.
b. Some pollenpeepers developed longer beaks because of the different types of flowers. On the other islands, some of the pollenpeepers changed colors which could have been related to mating reasons or camouflauge purposes.
1. What is natural selection?
ReplyDeleteNatural selection is commonly defined as "survival of the fittest." This means that the animals and plants that learn to adapt to their environments are the ones that will survive and prosper.
2.What is the evidence of natural selection?
Fossil records provide great evidence for natural selection and observational contributions from scientists like Darwin are key to understand natural selection as well.
3.What did Darwin do to impact the study?
He wrote "The Origin of the Species"
4.Describe the humming bird adaptation.
Humming bird beaks vary in size depending upon the flowers they depend on. Longer beaks being generally superior to shorter beaks.
5. What factors influenced natural selection for the birds?
Competition, food source, number and types of predators, geological factors, and plant life.