Observation and interests:
- Animal distributions
- Peregrine falcon
- Jungle
- What kinds and how many (what is the biodiversity)
- Diversity and evolution of predators vs prey
- Poaching
- Ethiopian wolf
- What kinds and how many (what is the biodiversity)
- Adaptations
- Lizards
- run on water
- internal body systems
- speed (slow vs. fast)
- diet
- closest to extinction
- Turtles
- Dragon fish stealthy
- eyespots
- Muscles move for speed
- HR in running flying animals
- Hunting adaptions in big cats
- Deep water adaptations
- Communication in jungles (sound evolutions)
- Proboscis monkeys long noses
- Adaptations of cells
- Lizards
- Evolution
- Diversity and evolution of predators vs prey
- Evolution vs other aspects of changing
- Can other animals be domesticated?
- Competition drive evolution (wolf vs. other large predators)
- Changes from wild to domestic animals
- e.g. domestic animals keep some wild traits
- Environment
- Climate change (can we stop it and is driving evolution or exciting
- Lizards in particular
- Habitat
- Disease
- Climate change (can we stop it and is driving evolution or exciting
OUESTION:
How does evolution and domestication allow animals (e.g. lizards and canines) to change their behaviour, bodies and systems, to match their environment.
- How do animals travel/spread across their range/world
- If we could domesticate an animal in the future would it evolve to look different? 🦁=🐱-🐺=🐶-🐵=👩🏼
- How do people already have pet foxes? (HOW CAN I GET ONE?) 🦊🥓🥓
- Documentary on fox domestication
- WHY HAVE ONLY SOME ANIMALS EVOLVED A LOT BUT OTHERS HAVE STAYED VERY SIMILAR?Like 🐺=🐶, 🦁=🐱, 🐵=👱🏻♀️,
- e.g. in canine evolution
- How have lizards evolved?
- e.g. tail loss…
- How lower levels of biology change with the whole animal (e.g. cells)
- Organs and behaviours
So after a lot of discussion…everyone chose an area of study that they would share back with the group keeping in mind the overarching
QUESTION!
How does evolution and domestication allow animals (e.g. lizards and canines) to change their behaviour, bodies and systems, to match their environment.
Below are the topics individuals chose:
Dino and Fifi: The topic of interest we identified for investigation is “How lizards evolved” we were also was interested in lizard adaptations; in particular the “Basilisk Lizards.”
AlbinoRhino: The topic of interest I identified for investigation is canine evolution (The Domestication of Dogs). I am interested in finding out how “wild and vicious wolves, over time, became friendly pets”.
Timbitom and Icewhisker: The topic we identified for investigation is canine evolution (The Domestication of Foxes). We were interested in finding out more about the Russian geneticist, Dmitry K. Belyaev and his attempts to create a tame fox population in the 1950’s.
Doggo4life: The topic of interest I identified for investigation is “The Ethiopian Wolf”. I wonder how and why it evolved and crossed to Northern Africa? I also am concerned because I believe the Ethiopian wolf is Africa’s most endangered carnivore and the world’s rarest canid.
CATattack: The topic of interest I identified for investigation is “What is DNA? and What is the role of DNA in Evolution?”. I wonder how changes in an animal cell’s DNA (mutations) would affect future offspring. After a “facetime” chat with Matthew I also decided to explore the role evolution had in the domestication of the household cat (my favourite animal:-)
Building a General Knowledge Based: Before we got started on our individual investigations we needed some background information… We needed to research “about evolution”. Below are some of the resources we used:
What is Evolution? <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhHOjC4oxh8>
Published on Jan 10, 2013 by Stated Clearly
Important ideas:
“Biological evolution is any change in the heritable traits within a population across generations.”
“Common descent is the scientific theory that all living organisms on Earth are descended from a common ancestor.”
What is Natural Selection? <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SCjhI86grU>
Published on May 14, 2013 by Stated Clearly
Important ideas:
“Natural Selection is one of the main concepts found within the theory of evolution. It was discovered by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace though Darwin championed the idea in his book “On the Origin of Species”. Natural selection can be defined as the process by which random evolutionary changes are selected for by nature in a consistent, orderly, non-random way.”
Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by.natural selection. "Darwin believed that
traits that hinder survival and reproduction would disappear over generations.""Darwin realised that the unequal ability of individuals to survive and reproduce could cause gradual changes in the population."
Image Source: CC (Public Domain) by George Richmond in the late 1830's Source: Introduction to Evolution
Image Source: CC by I, ToonySource: Introduction to Evolution
Image Source: CC by I, Toony
Next we visited the Whale Evolution Kiosk <http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/wh.kiosk.html> created by Lara Sox-Harris at San Jose State University in 2002.
This was an interactive online self-guided tutorial on the key elements of whale evolution. (anatomy, fossils, DNA, and classification).
The Phylogenetic Trees <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6uGYoqhT9w&list=PLmcSBm9AS2WbUHLR9Ldoon0uzTPU-UaPw&index=7>
Published on Oct 15, 2014 by Deanna Beals (California State University)
Another skill we needed was to learn is how to read Phylogenetic Trees. Phylogenetic Trees are used to represent hypotheses about the evolutionary relationship between species.
Phylogenetic Trees | Evolution | Khan Academy <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_XMKmFQ_w8>
Published on Aug 8, 2016 by Khan Academy
This video explains how to read and draw phylogenetic trees, or cladograms.
Ideas for next steps:
Next we had a facetime session with Matthew….he encouraged us to keep researching our topics.
- Develop protocol for DNA extraction in the classroom (Amelia lead?)
- Collect information on adaptations or traits that exist in your animal that make them well suited to their lifestyle (domestic or wild) and environment compared to other related animals. How did these traits arise?
- End of January and into February – Design experiments or activities to demonstrate the process of through natural selection.
ISLAND OF ADAPTATIONS – DESIGNING A SIMULATION
Our ASPIRE Scientist, Matthew Gilbert visited RL Angus the week before Spring Break.
In our activity called “Islands of Adaptation” we designed and named islands, each with different food sources and habitats. We then simulated how birds with different beak sizes would colonize each island and evolve in the process over multiple generations. We recorded and analyzed the data and demonstrated which type of natural selection we observed on each Island based on what food was available.
OUR ISLANDS AND FOOD
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OUR DATA
Here is data from all three islandands.
Big Bertha Island | Oogabuga Island | Gumbo Island |
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