Making My Own Species! - Weekly blog #9

http://mariana68.wixsite.com/evolution/designer-species

Summary

This week in science, I worked on my designer species project. So far, in this project I was able to create a concept on what our animal could be like. We were able to chose out of a few planets that our species could be from. We decided on planet C, a tropical planet that features plenty of vegetation, as well as animals such as birds, insects, and snakes. Knowing the information of the planet that we chose, we were able to think of traits that could be potentially useful in the environment. From their my team and I created a chart listing the advantages and disadvantages that certain traits presented, and which one we would like to include in our animal. From there we created another table that listed the body systems of the animal, and took different systems from different animals that we thought shared a similar system. Through this, I learned about all sorts of systems from different animals. 

Learning About Cladograms - Weekly Blog #8

https://bursakietad402.wordpress.com/illustrating-evolutionary-relationships/

Summary

This week, I learned about cladograms, and how scientists use them to organize data about common traits among animals. Cladograms are designed in a linear fashion to represent the growing complexity of trait, and the possible connections between animals. Cladograms allows scientists to examine possible common ancestors between animals and the traits that those common ancestors shared. Cladograms allow you to organize traits and allow you to find the most common traits among species. This can be especially useful because animals are complex in their traits, and as species evolve, it can be very difficult to find commonality between them.

S&EP - Using Models

This week, I was able to use models, such as cladograms, to find similarities between animals and how they connect to each other through common ancestors. on e example of this is the trying to find the most common ancestor of the T-Rex. The first thing that I had to do was make the cladogram and put the most basic trait in the beginning, in this case being vertebrae. I used a chart to help organize which animals had the most common traits to the T-Rex. Then, I was able to narrow it down further into 2 main species that could possibly be the closest common relatives. Those species were the Caiman and Parrot. I was then able to get more specific with traits that might be common with the T-Rex. In the end, the Parrot had the most common traits with the T-Rex, making it the most common ancestor.

XCC - Patterns 

Patterns can be very visible in cladograms. I say this because cladograms all present a sense of connection between species, and all follow the pattern of having the most specific shared traits at the top of the line, and the most basic traits at the bottom. This pattern can help scientists further examine specific traits that are present in a species, and how it compares to others. The pattern is universal, in the sense that all cladograms follow it and definitely help figure out common ancestors between species.

Evidence of Evolution - Weekly Blog #7

https://nondiscovery.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/intelligent-design-lacks-evolutions-web-of-evidence/

Summary

This week in science, I learned about the evidence that we did, in fact, come from a common ancestor. The main evidence of evolution that we studied this week were fossil records, embryology, and comparative anatomy. With this data, I was able to learn how, and why we are all connected through evolution. This can be seen in our comparative anatomy by just looking at the skeletal structure of animals compared to each other. It shows that we all have very similar structures in different areas of the body. It is also shown that when developing, our embryology is also very similar to each others. The early stages of the process can be hard to tell apart. Finally, the fossil records show how we are connected through evolution by giving evidence that past organisms that resembled us may be signs of a common ancestor, and help fill gaps of knowledge between evolutionary lines.

S&EP - Using models

This week, we explored usage of models to help us understand how evidence in evolution can be found through fossil records. We did this by making a list of the "Adventurian" fossils starting in Cambrian era. It started as one type of fossil, but eventually branched off into grey heads, and white heads, and even further into different types of species as a whole. Through this exercise, using models helped me better understand how fossil records give evidence of evolution and help close gaps in evolution.

XCC - Stability and Change

This week, I saw the concept of stability and change present in our studies. I say this because when studying the Adventurian fossil record, I was able to see change in during each epoch. Every time that a new fossil is present, there is that sense in change present in the pattern of the fossils. It shows that the organisms had to have a sense of stability if they are evolving in such a way that can aid them in the long run. This can also be seen when comparing the embryology or skeletal structures of different animals. There has to be a sense of stability within the systems, and change depending on the organisms needs. 

Studying Natural Selection: Weekly Blog #6

https://answersingenesis.org/natural-selection

Summary

This week in science, I learned how natural selection impacts the world today, and how it occurs. Natural selection is when certain traits are passed onto offspring to be the most fit for the environment. Natural selection is the only kind of evolution that leads to adaptations among a  species. Charles Darwin is the one that discovered these occurrences while in his studies. He did his expedition on the HMS beagle, and made a book named the origin of species. On his expedition, he found finches from different islands. Darwin studied these finches, and concluded that they all came from a common ancestor. Darwin also noticed that each of the finches were varied in their physical characteristics to fit their certain environments. This was most prominent in their beaks shape and size. Their was different types of foods growing in the island they inhabited, so in order to survive their beak shapes changed to what was necessary for consumption of food.

S&EP - Using Models

I used models to explain and predict behaviors of systems when I did the finches lab. In this lab we took the roles of different types of finch beaks to pick up different materials. This shows an example of how the finch beaks were different from each other, and were strongly suited in some areas but not others. This gives an example of natural selection due to some finch beaks being better than others at certain tasks. It was shown through the data that we collected from a model that the beaks and had strengths and weaknesses, depending on the type of food they were collecting.

XCC - Cause and Effect

A great example of cause and effect would have to be in the peppered moths. The situation of the peppered moths dates back to the first industrial revolution when there was smog covering the trees. Before this, the bark trees used to be white, and a great environment for the peppered moths. This was because of their ability to camouflage in these trees due to their light colored patterns. When the smog came along and made the white bark trees black, the white spotted moths had a hard time surviving, due to them being easily spotted. Because there wasn't only white colors within their genes, the dark moths started to only reproduce and fit better in their habitats. This is a great example of cause and affect because when the moths were white, the effect was them being able to camouflage. Another cause and affect scenario is when the trees got covered in smog, the affect was the black colored moths reproducing and making them hard to spot once again.

Studying Evolution: Weekly Blog #5

https://steemit.com/science/@herpetologyguy/the-biggest-misunderstandings-about-evolution

Summary:

This week in science, we began our studies on evolution. This week we also revisited the ideas of evolution and mutations.