Evolution Web Assignment


Evolution is one of the most important concepts in Biology.  You cannot study Biology without including it.  Many of the topics covered this year have involved evolution including (but not limited to) characteristics of living things, niches and symbiotic relationships in ecology, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, DNA and RNA, and genetic mutations.  Unfortunately the word evolution brings up some negative feelings in certain people that do not understand it.  This introductory assignment is meant to inform, educate, and clear up any misconceptions people may have about evolution.  You also be introduced to the scientists that made key contributions to the field of evolutionary biology.

I   Go to the Wabasso Public School website- www.wabassoschool.com.  Scroll to the bottom and click on the “Mr. Dewey” link.  On my website click on the “Biology” link, then “Labs and Projects” then “Evolution Web Assignment,” then the first link to the Understanding Evolution site: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evohome.html

II.  For each of the misconceptions of evolution listed below, read the entire response on the website, and then answer the questions below on a separate sheet of paper. 

Misconceptions about evolution and how it works:

1. "Evolution is a theory about the origin of life."

            a.  Is it?

            b.  What does evolutionary theory deal with?

2. "Evolution is like a climb up a ladder of progress; organisms are always getting better."

            a.  When do organisms stop evolving?

            b.  What are three things that may cause organisms to adapt and evolve?

            c.  What is fitness linked to?

3. "Evolution means that life changed 'by chance.'"

            a.  Are all evolutionary mechanisms random?

            b.  What is an example of a non-random selection?

4. "Natural selection involves organisms 'trying' to adapt."

            a.  Do organisms “try to adapt?”

            b.  What does natural selection actually involve?

5. "Natural selection gives organisms what they 'need.'"

            a.  Does it?

Misconceptions about the evidence for evolution:

1. "Evolution is 'just' a theory."

            a.  Is a scientific theory just a guess or a hunch?

b.  What is the scientific definition of theory?

2. "Evolution is a theory in crisis and is collapsing as scientists lose confidence in it."

            a.  Do scientists debate whether evolution took place?

            b.  What do they debate?

3. "Gaps in the fossil record disprove evolution."

            a.  Do all organisms leave fossils?

            b.  Have there been transitional fossils found?

4. "Evolutionary theory is incomplete and is currently unable to give a total explanation of life."

            a.  Is this true?

            b.  What is true of all scientific knowledge?

5. "The theory of evolution is flawed, but scientists won't admit it."

            a.  What are these “flaws” based on?

6. "Evolution is not science because it is not observable or testable." 

            a.  Is this true?  (You will hear more examples in class other than the ones given)

7. "Most biologists have rejected 'Darwinism' (i.e., no longer really agree with the ideas put forth by Darwin and Wallace)."

            a.  Has Darwin’s (and Wallace’s) ideas been modified?

            b.  Is this how science works?

Misconceptions about evolution and religion:

1. "Evolution and religion are incompatible."

            a.  Are they?

            b.  What is the difference between evolution and religion?

Misconceptions about teaching evolution:

1. "Teachers should teach 'both sides' and let students decide for themselves."

            a.  Are there only “two sides”?

b.  Why don’t religious views belong in a science classroom?

2. "Evolution is itself 'religious,' so requiring teachers to teach evolution violates the First Amendment."

a.  Is evolution religion?

            b.  What is it?

III.  Scroll back to the top of the page and click on the home button in the upper right corner.  Then click on “What is the history of evolutionary theory?”  Then click on the first link “History of Evolutionary Thought.”

1.  Look at the tree and observe how complex evolutionary theory is.  Then click on the bottom part of the tree to go to the pre-1800’s page.

2.  Name any scientists listed that you may have heard of before (there should be one).

3.  What field did Andreas Vesalius contribute?

4.  Click on the 1800’s to 1900’s link on the top bar to go to the 1800’s page.  Name any scientists listed that you may have heard of before (there should be at least three).

5.  Click on Evolution Happens: Jean Baptiste Lamarck.  Read the first three paragraphs.  How did he think organisms changed?

6.  Go back one page.  Click on Natural Selection: Charles Darwin & Alfred Russel Wallace.  Read the first two paragraphs.

            a.  Was Darwin the first person with the ideas he got credit for?

            b.  Darwin said life changed through a process.  What was the process called?

7.  Go back one page and click on Early Evolution and Development: Ernst Haeckel.  Read the first three paragraphs.  What kind of development did Haeckel study?

8.  Go back one page.  Click on Chromosomes and Mutation:  Thomas Hunt Morgan.  Read the sections on the second page entitled “Mutated gene = new species?” and “Mutation does not equal speciation”

            a.  What animal did Morgan work with?

            b.  What trait changed?

            c.  Did the changed trait mean a new species was formed?

9.  Go back two pages then click on the 1800’s to 1900’s link on the top bar to go to the 1900’s page.  Name any scientists listed that you may have heard of before (there should be two).

Congratulations!  You have finished this web assignment!