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The Academy's Evolution Site

The concept of biological evolution is a fundamental concept in biology. The Academies are committed to helping those interested in science to understand evolution theory and how it is permeated in all areas of scientific research.

This site provides a range of resources for students, teachers, and general readers on 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 is seen in a variety of cultures and spiritual beliefs as symbolizing unity and love. It also has practical uses, like providing a framework for understanding the history of species and how they react to changing environmental conditions.

Early attempts to describe the world of biology were built on categorizing organisms based on their metabolic and physical characteristics. These methods, based on the sampling of different parts of living organisms, or short fragments of their DNA significantly expanded the diversity that could be represented in the tree of life2. However these trees are mainly comprised of eukaryotes, and bacterial diversity is still largely unrepresented3,4.

In avoiding the necessity of direct observation and experimentation genetic techniques have made it possible to represent the Tree of Life in a more precise manner. Particularly, molecular methods enable us to create trees by using sequenced markers like the small subunit of ribosomal RNA gene.

Despite the rapid expansion of the Tree of Life through genome sequencing, much biodiversity still is waiting to be discovered. This is especially the case for microorganisms which are difficult to cultivate and are usually found in one sample5. A recent analysis of all genomes has produced a rough draft of a Tree of Life. This includes a wide range of bacteria, archaea and other organisms that have not yet been isolated or whose diversity has not been well understood6.

The expanded Tree of Life is particularly useful for assessing the biodiversity of an area, helping to determine if specific habitats require special protection. This information can be used in a variety of ways, from identifying new treatments to fight disease to enhancing the quality of crop yields. The information is also incredibly valuable in conservation efforts. It can aid biologists in identifying areas most likely to have cryptic species, which may have important metabolic functions, and could be susceptible to human-induced change. While conservation funds are essential, the best method to protect the world's biodiversity is to equip more people in developing nations with the necessary knowledge to take action locally and 에볼루션 블랙잭 바카라 사이트 (click through the up coming document) encourage conservation.

Phylogeny

A phylogeny is also known as an evolutionary tree, shows the connections between groups of organisms. Using molecular data as well as morphological similarities and distinctions, or ontogeny (the process of the development of an organism) scientists can create a phylogenetic tree that illustrates the evolutionary relationships between taxonomic categories. The role of phylogeny is crucial in understanding biodiversity, genetics and evolution.

A basic phylogenetic Tree (see Figure PageIndex 10 ) identifies the relationships between organisms with similar traits that evolved from common ancestral. These shared traits may be homologous, or analogous. Homologous traits share their evolutionary roots, while analogous traits look similar but do not have the same origins. Scientists group similar traits into a grouping referred to as a Clade. All members of a clade have a common characteristic, for example, amniotic egg production. They all evolved from an ancestor with these eggs. A phylogenetic tree is then constructed by connecting clades to determine the organisms which are the closest to one another.

For a more precise and accurate phylogenetic tree, scientists make use of molecular data from DNA or RNA to determine the relationships among organisms. This information is more precise and 에볼루션 provides evidence of the evolutionary history of an organism. Researchers can utilize Molecular Data to determine the age of evolution of organisms and determine how many organisms have an ancestor common to all.

Phylogenetic relationships can be affected by a variety of factors, including the phenotypic plasticity. This is a type of behaviour that can change in response to particular environmental conditions. This can cause a trait to appear more similar to one species than to another and obscure the phylogenetic signals. However, this issue can be reduced by the use of methods such as cladistics which include a mix of homologous and analogous features into the tree.

In addition, phylogenetics can aid in predicting the time and pace of speciation. This information can help conservation biologists decide which species they should protect from extinction. In the end, it's the conservation of phylogenetic diversity that will result in an ecosystem that is complete and balanced.

Evolutionary Theory

The fundamental concept of evolution is that organisms acquire various characteristics over time as a result of their interactions with their surroundings. Many theories of evolution have been developed by a variety of scientists such as the Islamic naturalist Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274) who believed that an organism would evolve slowly in accordance with its requirements and needs, the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) who designed the modern hierarchical taxonomy, as well as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) who suggested that the use or non-use of traits causes changes that could be passed onto offspring.

In the 1930s and 1940s, theories from a variety of fields--including genetics, natural selection, and particulate inheritance--came together to create the modern synthesis of evolutionary theory which explains how evolution happens through the variation of genes within a population, and how these variants change in time as a result of natural selection. This model, known as genetic drift, mutation, gene flow, and sexual selection, is the foundation of the current evolutionary biology and can be mathematically described.

Recent developments in the field of evolutionary developmental biology have revealed that variations can be introduced into a species by mutation, genetic drift and reshuffling of genes in sexual reproduction, as well as by migration between populations. These processes, along with others such as directional selection and gene erosion (changes in 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 in an individual).

Students can better understand the concept of phylogeny through incorporating evolutionary thinking in all areas of biology. A recent study by Grunspan and colleagues, for 에볼루션코리아 example, showed that teaching about the evidence for evolution helped students accept the concept of evolution in a college biology course. For more information about how to teach evolution look up 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 scientists have studied evolution by looking back, studying fossils, comparing species, and studying living organisms. Evolution isn't a flims event, but an ongoing process that continues to be observed today. Bacteria transform and resist antibiotics, viruses reinvent themselves and escape new drugs, and animals adapt their behavior in response to the changing climate. The resulting changes are often easy to see.

But it wasn't until the late-1980s that biologists realized that natural selection could be observed in action as well. The main reason is that different traits confer a different rate of survival as well as reproduction, and may be passed down from one generation to another.

In the past, if one particular allele - the genetic sequence that controls coloration - was present in a population of interbreeding organisms, it might quickly become more common than all other alleles. In time, this could mean that the number of black moths within the population could increase. The same is true for many other characteristics--including morphology and behavior--that vary among populations of organisms.

It is easier to track evolution when an organism, like bacteria, has a rapid 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 regularly, and over fifty thousand generations have been observed.

Lenski's research has revealed that a mutation can dramatically alter the efficiency with the rate at which a population reproduces, and consequently, the rate at which it evolves. It also shows that evolution takes time, which is difficult for some to accept.

Another example of microevolution is that mosquito genes that confer resistance to pesticides appear more frequently in areas where insecticides are employed. This is because the use of pesticides creates a pressure that favors people who have resistant genotypes.

The rapid pace at which evolution takes place has led to an increasing appreciation of its importance in a world shaped by human activities, including climate change, pollution and the loss of habitats that hinder many species from adjusting. Understanding the evolution process can help you make better decisions about the future of the planet and its inhabitants.