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The Academy’s Evolution Site

The concept of biological evolution is among the most fundamental concepts in biology. The Academies have long been involved in helping those interested in science comprehend the theory of evolution and how it permeates all areas of scientific exploration.

This site provides teachers, students and general readers with a variety of learning resources on evolution. It includes key video clip from NOVA and WGBH produced science programs on DVD.

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life, an ancient symbol, represents the interconnectedness of all life. It is seen in a variety of cultures and spiritual beliefs as a symbol of unity and love. It also has practical applications, such as providing a framework to understand the evolution of species and how they react to changes in the environment.

Early attempts to represent the world of biology were founded on categorizing organisms on their physical and metabolic characteristics. These methods depend on the sampling of different parts of organisms, or DNA fragments have significantly increased the diversity of a tree of Life2. The trees are mostly composed by eukaryotes, and bacterial diversity is vastly underrepresented3,4.

By avoiding the need for direct experimentation and observation genetic techniques have made it possible to depict the Tree of Life in a much more accurate way. Particularly, molecular techniques allow us to build trees using sequenced markers like the small subunit ribosomal gene.

The Tree of Life has been significantly expanded by genome sequencing. However there is a lot of diversity to be discovered. This is especially true of microorganisms, which are difficult to cultivate and are usually only found in a single specimen5. Recent analysis of all genomes resulted in an initial draft of a Tree of Life. This includes a large number of archaea, bacteria, and other organisms that haven’t yet been identified or whose diversity has not been fully understood6.

The expanded Tree of Life is particularly useful in assessing the diversity of an area, which can help to determine if certain habitats require protection. This information can be utilized in a variety of ways, such as finding new drugs, fighting diseases and improving crops. This information is also extremely beneficial in conservation efforts. It can help biologists identify areas that are most likely to have cryptic species, which could have important metabolic functions and be vulnerable to the effects of human activity. While conservation funds are important, the most effective way to conserve the world’s biodiversity is to equip more people in developing countries with the information they require to act locally and promote conservation.

Phylogeny

A phylogeny (also known as an evolutionary tree) illustrates the relationship between different organisms. Scientists can create an phylogenetic chart which shows the evolutionary relationships between taxonomic categories using molecular information and morphological differences or similarities. Phylogeny is essential in understanding the evolution of biodiversity, evolution and genetics.

A basic phylogenetic tree (see Figure PageIndex 10 Finds the connections between organisms with similar traits and evolved from an ancestor with common traits. These shared traits could be homologous, or analogous. Homologous traits are identical in their underlying evolutionary path while analogous traits appear similar, but do not share the same origins. Scientists combine similar traits into a grouping called a clade. All members of a clade have a common trait, such as amniotic egg production. They all came from an ancestor that had these eggs. A phylogenetic tree can be built by connecting the clades to determine the organisms that are most closely related to each other.

Scientists use DNA or RNA molecular data to build a phylogenetic chart that is more precise and precise. This information is more precise and provides evidence of the evolutionary history of an organism. Researchers can utilize Molecular Data to determine the evolutionary age of organisms and identify how many species have a common ancestor.

Phylogenetic relationships can be affected by a variety of factors, including the phenotypic plasticity. This is a kind of behavior that changes in response to specific environmental conditions. This can make a trait appear more similar to a species than to another, obscuring the phylogenetic signals. This problem can be mitigated by using cladistics, which incorporates the combination of homologous and analogous features in the tree.

Furthermore, phylogenetics may help predict the length and speed of speciation. This information can aid conservation biologists to make decisions about which species to protect from the threat of extinction. In the end, it’s the preservation of phylogenetic diversity that will result in an ecosystem that is complete and balanced.

Evolutionary Theory

The main idea behind evolution is that organisms develop different features over time based on their interactions with their surroundings. Many scientists have developed theories of evolution, such as the Islamic naturalist Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-274), who believed that a living thing would develop according to its own requirements and needs, the Swedish taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778), who created the modern hierarchical system of taxonomy as well as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1844-1829), who suggested that the usage or non-use of traits can lead to changes that are passed on to the next generation.

In the 1930s and 1940s, concepts from a variety of fields — including genetics, natural selection, and particulate inheritance–came together to create the modern evolutionary theory, which defines how evolution happens through the variation of genes within a population, and how these variants change over time as a result of natural selection. This model, which encompasses mutations, genetic drift as well as gene flow and sexual selection, can be mathematically described.

Recent advances in the field of evolutionary developmental biology have demonstrated how variation can be introduced to a species by mutations, genetic drift and reshuffling of genes during sexual reproduction and the movement between populations. These processes, along with other ones like directional selection and genetic erosion (changes in the frequency of an individual’s genotype over time) can lead to evolution which is defined by changes in the genome of the species over time, and also the change in phenotype as time passes (the expression of that genotype in the individual).

Incorporating evolutionary thinking into all areas of biology education could increase student understanding of the concepts of phylogeny and evolution. In a study by Grunspan and co. It was found that teaching students about the evidence for evolution boosted their understanding of evolution in an undergraduate biology course. For www.Evolutionkr.kr more details on how to teach about evolution look up The Evolutionary Potential in All Areas of Biology or Thinking Evolutionarily: a Framework for Infusing Evolution into Life Sciences Education.

Evolution in Action

Traditionally scientists have studied evolution by looking back, studying fossils, comparing species, and studying living organisms. Evolution is not a distant event; it is an ongoing process. Bacteria evolve and resist antibiotics, viruses re-invent themselves and escape new drugs and animals change their behavior in response to the changing climate. The changes that occur are often visible.

It wasn’t until the late 1980s when biologists began to realize that natural selection was in play. The key to this is that different traits result in a different rate of survival and reproduction, and they can be passed on from one generation to another.

In the past, if a certain allele – the genetic sequence that determines colour – appeared in a population of organisms that interbred, it might become more prevalent than any other allele. Over time, that would mean that the number of black moths within a particular population could rise. The same is true for many other characteristics–including morphology and behavior–that vary among populations of organisms.

Monitoring evolutionary changes in action is much easier when a species has a rapid turnover of its generation, as with bacteria. Since 1988, biologist Richard Lenski has been tracking twelve populations of E. coli that descended from a single strain. samples from each population are taken every day and more than 500.000 generations have passed.

Lenski’s research has demonstrated that mutations can alter the rate at which change occurs and the efficiency at which a population reproduces. It also shows that evolution takes time–a fact that some are unable to accept.

Another example of microevolution is that mosquito genes for resistance to pesticides show up more often in populations where insecticides are employed. This is due to pesticides causing an enticement that favors individuals who have resistant genotypes.

The speed of evolution taking place has led to an increasing awareness of its significance in a world shaped by human activity–including climate change, pollution and the loss of habitats that hinder many species from adapting. Understanding evolution will assist you in making better choices regarding the future of the planet and its inhabitants.