For this project we went into detail about the evolution of a certain species and used several metal pieces to explore speciation and taxonomy. For the detailed evolution process, my partner and I chose to do turtle evolution. For the evolution of the metal pieces, we were given hardware pieces like screws and bolts. We had to create domains, kingdoms, phylums, classes, orders, families, genuses, and species and sort the pieces into them. We also had to create a story about how the species evolved. To present our story, my group made a video.
Turtle Evolution
Taxonomy, Cladogram, and Speciation
Concepts
speciation - the creation of a new species. We used this concept in the creation of our evolution story. evolution - the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. We based all of the work we did for this project based on this theory. survival of the fittest - the continued existence of organisms that are best adapted to their environment. We used this concept to create our story and understand the evolution of our specific organism. adaptation - any alteration in the structure or function of an organism by which the organism becomes better fitted to survive and multiply in its environment. We used the concept of adaptation to do everything in this project. Charles Darwin - developed the Theory of Evolution. We used his ideas while learning about evolution. Theory of Evolution - the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits. This is the theory that this whole project is based off of. natural selection - the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. We used this concept to understand how evolution occurs. variation - any difference between organisms caused by genetic or environmental differences. We used this concept to understand how evolution happens. competition - an interaction between organisms or species in which both the organisms or species are harmed. We used this concept in making our story. taxonomy - the branch of science concerned with classification. We used this in classifying the metal pieces. artificial selection - the intentional reproduction of individuals in a population that have desirable traits. We used this in our story. isolation - the lack of interbreeding or little genetic mixing between organisms of the same species. We used this in our story. Founder's effect - the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. We used this in our story. genetic drift - variation in the relative frequency of different genotypes in a small population. We used this in our story. sympatrick speciation - coexist in the same environment but don't mate. We used this in our story. allopatrick speciation - are different species because they physically cannot mate. We used this in our story.
Reflection
positives - had fun making the video, did a lot of work to make our project good negatives - was confused on some of the topics, some of the work was repetitive and got boring (taxonomy) learned - about evolution, how much i can get done when i work hard, how to classify species
During this project, I had an overall good experience. My favorite part of this project was working with the people in my group. We worked very well together and even had time to make a video. Making the video was also fun because we were able to express what we'd learned in a creative format. I felt that in this group I got a lot of work done and was very productive for the length of the project. There were also some negative parts of this project. At the beginning it was complicated because I did not fully understand the project. I was confused at what we were supposed to do and what the point was. After talking with my group members I was able to figure out what we had to do and how it related to biology. Another problem I discovered was that some of the work was kind of repetitive and boring. For example creating the taxonomy and classifications for each different type of hardware was not the most interesting task. But, I got through it and was able to use that work to have fun making a video. During this project I learned about evolution works, how species are classified, what makes a species a species, and a lot of other things. I also learned just how much work I can get done when I am focused and work for the whole period.