Tag Archives: evolution

03.08.18
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Evolution Simulations

Since evolution cannot occur before our eyes in a class period, today we’ll be ‘simulating’ evolution with a game and a simulator. For each, their are directions and questions you must answer. Click the image below to be taken to the weblink. (*iPad users: You must download and use the Puffin web browser to run these simulations)

Who Wants to Live a Million Years

Million

Choose variations in a population to try to survive for a million years. Watch out for environmental changes and mutations!

Evolution Simulation

Simulation

Watch how small changes in populations can have big impacts. You can also change settings to see how these animals would fair when their food source behaves differently.

03.05.18
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Theories of Evolution

That’s what we’ve been talking about the last few days. We’ve talked about theories and evidence that supports or refutes those theories. There have been lots of theories of evolution but we’ve focused on two…

  1. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

    • Acquired Characteristics
    • Whatever traits or habits that you picked up over your life, you passed on to your children.
    • Believed that if you really “needed” something or some habit to survive you could acquire it.

  1. Charles Darwin

    • Descent with Modification – Present living beings are modified decendents of older organisms and species.
    • Modification by Natural Selection – Environment limits the growth of populations. Some Organisms have traits that make them better able to survive in their environment

Evidence suggests that Drawin’s theory, which he illustrated in his book “On the Origin of Species”, is accurate. Can you think of any instances of organisms that look like other species but have some type of special advantages to help them survive in their environment?

To review, click through the Darwin information pages and see if you can help a species of furry creatures live for a million years!

03.23.17
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What did a T-Rex Taste Like?

trexWhat did a T-Rex Taste Like?

Believe it or not, we actually have was of finding this answer despite the fact the Tyrannosaurus Rex has been extinct for over 65 million years. We can determine a T-Rex features, including taste, using similar features (which we now know are called homologous structures). shared with animals the T-Rex is closely related to.

Recall that yesterday we learned that the more features you have in common, the higher the probability that you share a common ancestor/DNA (the exception would be convergent evolution where two species become increasingly similar despite the fact the originated from different ancestors). So what we can do is plot relatedness, based on characteristics, on a graphic called a cladogram, like the one shown here.

 
So Today, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing, using the link at the top of this post, you’ll follow the steps to learn how cladograms are created, organized, and what the different branches of it mean. By the time you are through, you will know what it tastes like to bite into a big fat dino-burger!

03.13.17
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Evolution Simulation

Sorry I can’t be there today. But I’ve got two great activities for you while I’m gone.

First, do the Darwin “Scenarios” activity with the people at your table.

Then, in our previous class we played a game using Darwin’s theory of Natural selection to see if we could help a fictional species last for a million years. There were environmental factors that influenced change, and ways of adding variation to a population.

Now we can take what we have learned and actually apply it to a real evolution simulation. We obviously cannot make evolution happen in a lab, but we can simulate it using Darwin’s theory. Click the link below (iPad users must be in the Puffin browser, not Safari) to be taken to the simulation. Read the directions, follow the procedure I have provided, collect your data, and graph your results.

Link: Evolution Simulation

Simulation

Watch how small changes in populations can have big impacts. You can also change settings to see how these animals would fair when their food source behaves differently.

03.24.16
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Evolution Review!

Greetings from the campus of THE Ohio State University in beautiful Columbus, Ohio! That’s where I’ll be today. But I believe you’ll do a great job without me today. You’ve done a great job with the graphic organizers and it’s amazing to see how much content yo have picked up and recalled because of it! It’s a lot to cover but you’ve done it and done it well. Today I’d like you to:

  • Finish your illustrations
  • Add as much information to your board as you can (keep it neat and near the topic on the organizer)
  • Complete your video and email it to me(time-lapse or narrated). You may want to add background music for effect.
  • Complete the info-search you picked up in the front of the room (you can do it by yourself, with your table, or as a class… your choice)

Use the graphic organizer you created on Monday as a study guide this weekend. Remember you Unit 9 Group test is the first day back from Easter break, Tuesday the 29th! It will be some multiple choice but mostly fill-in and short answer. Have a great Easter!

03.16.16
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What did a T-Rex Taste Like?

trexLink: What did a T-Rex Taste Like?

Believe it or not, we actually have was of finding this answer despite the fact the Tyrannosaurus Rex has been extinct for over 65 million years. We can determine a T-Rex features, including taste, using similar features (which we now know are called homologous structures). shared with animals the T-Rex is closely related to.

Recall that yesterday we learned that the more features you have in common, the higher the probability that you share a common ancestor/DNA (the exception would be convergent evolution where two species become increasingly similar despite the fact the originated from different ancestors). So what we can do is plot relatedness, based on characteristics, on a graphic called a cladogram, like the one shown here.

So Today, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing, using the link at the top of this post, you’ll follow the steps to learn how cladograms are created, organized, and what the different branches of it mean. By the time you are through, you will know what it tastes like to bite into a big fat dino-burger!

03.10.16
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Evolution Simulation

In our previous class we played a game using Darwin’s theory of Natural selection to see if we could help a fictional species last for a million years. There were environmental factors that influenced change, and ways of adding variation to a population.

Now we can take what we have learned and actually apply it to a real evolution simulation. We obviously cannot make evolution happen in a lab, but we can simulate it using Darwin’s theory. Click the link below (iPad users must be in the Puffin browser, not Safari) to be taken to the simulation. Read the directions, follow the procedure I have provided, collect your data, and graph your results.

Link: Evolution Simulation

Simulation

Watch how small changes in populations can have big impacts. You can also change settings to see how these animals would fair when their food source behaves differently.

03.08.16
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Who Wants to Live a Million Years?

Since evolution cannot occur before our eyes in a class period, today we’ll be ‘simulating’ evolution with a game called “Who Wants to Live a Million Years?”. There are directions and questions you must answer when you play. Those can be found using this link. Click the image or one of the links below to be taken to the game. (*iPad users: You must download and use the Puffin web browser to run these simulations)

Who Wants to Live a Million Years

Link 1 – Science Channel                  Link 2 – Animal Planet

Million

Choose variations in a population to try to survive for a million years. Watch out for environmental changes and mutations!

03.20.15
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Speciation & Cladistics

Today is the last day of our Evolution Discussion. During our last discussion, we talked about types of evolution/selection and how it leads to new species… Today, we’re discussing how a new species is formed by a process called speciation and how we can illustrate relatedness of species using an instrument called a cladogram.

Watch the video below for more information and examples. Enjoy!

 

03.19.15
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What Did a T-Rex Taste Like???

trexIt may seem like a silly question, but there is a way we can make a pretty significant guess as to what a T-Rex may have tasted like. We can do it using derived characteristics, or homologous structures as you and I call them, and something called a cladogram.

Cladograms are an illustrated way to show relatedness of species both current or extinct. Today we’ll be introduced to cladistics using an online module. The good news is by the end, you will be able to predict with great certainty what a T-Rex most likely tasted like.

Use the link below to reach the online module from the University of California, Berkley. (Please note, if you are using an iOS device you will need to open the link below using the Puffin App)

What Did A T-Rex Taste Like