The Academy's Evolution Site

Biology is a key concept in biology. The Academies are involved in helping those who are interested in science comprehend the evolution theory and how it can be applied in all areas of scientific research.

This site provides teachers, students and general readers with a wide range of learning resources about evolution. It contains key video clips from NOVA and WGBH produced science programs on DVD.

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is an ancient symbol that represents the interconnectedness of life. It appears in many religions and cultures as symbolizing unity and love. It has numerous practical applications as well, including providing a framework to understand the evolution of species and how they respond to changing environmental conditions.

Early attempts to describe the world of biology were based on categorizing organisms based on their metabolic and physical characteristics. These methods, based on the sampling of different parts of living organisms or sequences of short DNA fragments, significantly increased the variety that could be included in the tree of life2. However, these trees are largely made up of eukaryotes. Bacterial diversity remains vastly underrepresented3,4.

By avoiding the need for direct observation and experimentation genetic techniques have allowed us to depict the Tree of Life in a more precise way. In particular, molecular methods allow us to construct trees using sequenced markers, such as the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene.

The Tree of Life has been dramatically expanded through genome sequencing. However there is still a lot of biodiversity to be discovered. This is particularly true for microorganisms that are difficult to cultivate, and are typically present in a single sample5. A recent study of all known genomes has produced a rough draft version of the Tree of Life, including numerous archaea and bacteria that are not isolated and their diversity is not fully understood6.

The expanded Tree of Life can be used to determine the diversity of a particular area and determine if specific habitats need special protection. The information is useful in many ways, including finding new drugs, fighting diseases and enhancing crops. It is also beneficial for conservation efforts. It can help biologists identify the areas most likely to contain cryptic species with important metabolic functions that could be at risk of anthropogenic changes. While conservation funds are important, the best method to protect the world's biodiversity is to empower more people in developing nations with the knowledge they need to act locally and support conservation.

Phylogeny

A phylogeny, also called an evolutionary tree, reveals the connections between groups of organisms. By using molecular information as well as morphological similarities and distinctions, or ontogeny (the process of the development of an organism) scientists can create a phylogenetic tree which illustrates the evolutionary relationship between taxonomic groups. Phylogeny is crucial in understanding evolution, biodiversity and Https://wikimapia.org, this issue can be solved through the use of methods like cladistics, which incorporate a combination of analogous and homologous features into the tree.

In addition, phylogenetics can aid in predicting the duration and rate of speciation. This information can help conservation biologists make decisions about which species they should protect from the threat of extinction. Ultimately, it is the preservation of phylogenetic diversity which will lead to a complete and balanced ecosystem.

Evolutionary Theory

The main idea behind evolution is that organisms change over time as a result of their interactions with their environment. Many scientists have proposed theories of evolution, including the Islamic naturalist Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-274) who believed that a living thing would develop according to its own requirements, the Swedish taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) who conceived the modern taxonomy system that is hierarchical as well as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1844-1829), who suggested that the use or absence of traits can cause changes that are passed on to the next generation.

In the 1930s and 1940s, theories from a variety of fields--including genetics, natural selection, and particulate inheritance--came together to form the current synthesis of evolutionary theory which explains how evolution is triggered by the variation of genes within a population, and how those variations change over time due to natural selection. This model, which encompasses genetic drift, mutations, gene flow and sexual selection is mathematically described mathematically.

Recent discoveries in the field of evolutionary developmental biology have revealed that variations can be introduced into a species via mutation, genetic drift and reshuffling genes during sexual reproduction, and also by migration between populations. These processes, as well as other ones like the directional selection process and the erosion of genes (changes to the frequency of genotypes over time), can lead towards evolution. Evolution is defined by changes in the genome over time as well as changes in phenotype (the expression of genotypes within individuals).

Incorporating evolutionary thinking into all areas of biology education can improve students' understanding of phylogeny as well as evolution. In a recent study conducted by Grunspan and co., it was shown that teaching students about the evidence for evolution boosted their understanding of evolution in a college-level course in biology. For more details on how to teach evolution, see The Evolutionary Potential in all Areas of Biology or Thinking Evolutionarily as a Framework for Integrating Evolution into Life Sciences Education.

Evolution in Action

Traditionally, 에볼루션 무료체험 scientists have studied evolution by studying fossils, comparing species and studying living organisms. Evolution is not a distant moment; it is a process that continues today. Bacteria transform and resist antibiotics, viruses reinvent themselves and are able to evade new medications, and animals adapt their behavior in response to the changing environment. The changes that result are often visible.

However, it wasn't until late-1980s that biologists realized that natural selection could be seen in action, as well. The key is that various characteristics result in different rates of survival and reproduction (differential fitness) and are transferred from one generation to the next.

In the past, 에볼루션 바카라 when one particular allele, the genetic sequence that determines coloration--appeared in a group of interbreeding organisms, it could quickly become more prevalent than other alleles. As time passes, that could mean the number of black moths in a particular population could rise. The same is true for many other characteristics--including morphology and behavior--that vary among populations of organisms.

It is easier to see evolutionary change when an organism, like bacteria, 에볼루션 코리아 has a high generation turnover. Since 1988 biologist Richard Lenski has been tracking twelve populations of E. bacteria that descend from a single strain; samples of each population are taken every day and more than 50,000 generations have now been observed.

Lenski's research has revealed that a mutation can profoundly alter the speed at which a population reproduces and, consequently the rate at which it alters. It also demonstrates that evolution takes time, something that is hard for some to accept.

Another example of microevolution is that mosquito genes that are resistant to pesticides are more prevalent in populations where insecticides are used. This is due to pesticides causing an exclusive pressure that favors those who have resistant genotypes.

The speed of evolution taking place has led to a growing recognition of its importance in a world that is shaped by human activities, including climate change, pollution and the loss of habitats that hinder many species from adjusting. Understanding the evolution process will help you make better decisions about the future of the planet and its inhabitants.