EVOLUTION Blog 9: Diamante Poem

EVOLUTION Blog 5: Weblab Exploring Evolution

This weblab showed us the evolution of whales and how they are one of the few ocean mammals. We saw how they evolved by comparing DNA, fossils, and the anatomy of other mammals. We kept exploring to find out which are the ancestors of whales.

This weblab was very interactive and fun to complete. I'd give it 5 stars. ★★★★★

EVOLUTION Blog 4: Weblab Natural Selection

In the weblab, I changed certain traits and the environment, which would affect the population and the development of the animal. In the butterfly experiment, I changed the color of the butterflies and the amount of predators, but no matter what the colorful butterfly would prevail. This was because, even though they were eaten more, the colorfulness allowed them to reproduce faster than the mortality rate. In the finch experiment, it showed how the finches adapted to their surroundings by changing the size of their beaks. The amount of precipitation changed the size of seeds, which were the finch's food source, so in turn, the finches beaks developed accordingly. In the last experiment, it showed how human interaction with other animal population can affect the traits of that population. Introducing cats to mice brought the mice population down, so when cats were cut off, the population increased. When the cats were reintroduced, only brown mice thrived because they camouflaged with the brown barn, but when the barn was repainted yellow, the yellow mice population rose. 

I enjoyed this weblab and it was easy to follow. I'd give it 5 stars :) ★★★★★

EVOLUTION Blog 6: Conversation

MODERN CONVERSATION BETWEEN MAJOR EVOLUTIONISTS

Lamarck: Yo wassup dawgs. Did you know that acquired traits can be passed down through generations? Like if I get buff, my kids will be buff.

Mendel: Naw foo, only genetic traits can be passed down. Through the genes of the offspring are combinations of the genes of the two parents.

Darwin: Yea dude, Mendel is right. But what he missed was that the good traits, like having a strong body, can be passed down more easily cuz the stronger people would survive more. It's not that the parents become buff and pass it on, but that they have the traits to develop muscle faster. This is the process I like to call survival of the fittest. #NaturalSelection.

Lamarck: Wow, two versus one, that's not cool. You guys have an advantage cuz you came after me.. More technological advances allowed you two to make better observations.

Mendel: Haha, yea man, get with the program. A person can only inherit traits that their parents have, but he can acquire other traits throughout his life, which cannot be passed down. For example, a boy is born with blonde hair, but he dyes it red. When he has a kid with another blonde woman, the kid will be blonde, there is no chance that the kid will be a ginger.

EVOLUTION Blog 3: Saving Endangered Species from Extinction?

I think we should save endangered species. The main reason I believe we should do this is because, even thought extinction is a natural process, we are speeding up this process through mass hunting. Endangered species should become extinct through the slow process of evolution, not through extermination.

EVOLUTION Blog 2: Should creationism be taught in schools?

I think that creationism should be taught in school, because it is good to see all the different perspectives and views on the creation of the world that we live in. Since I am religious, I believe that there is a God, or almighty being, that is in responsible for many of the things that happen in the world. Creationism does not have to be emphasized but instead just taught, so each student will be able to choose which idea they believe in.

EVOLUTION Blog 1: Career Paleontologist

To become a paleontologist, you will need a Ph.D. in paleontology. You will need a strong educational background in the natural sciences, like geology and biology. Another skill that would be great to have is statistical analysis and computers. In the United States, the average salary for this job is $82,500 a year.

References:
http://www.academicinvest.com/science-careers/geology-careers/how-to-become-a-paleontologist
http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/research/paleontology/kairuku.html