Evolution progress

So far I have learned so much in evolution class, and I have also really enjoyed the layout of this class. I have learned that I really enjoy the discussions in small groups because it helps me to better understand the topics. 

 I went back to my first blog post where I defined evolution, and I said that "evolution as a change over time in a species". I went into more details with what this meant to me and gave examples as well. Since the post, I have learned so much more about what evolution is and I would change my initial response by adding more details of other factors involved in evolution. I learned that the modern perception in evolution takes more factors into consideration such as how important the environment is to causing differences in fitness. The differences in fitness can then lead to change in the generations to follow. I would also add in that mutation is the main cause of variation that can cause evolutionary change. Evolution can be very small or very large scale changes and the time frame that this will occur in is heavily dependent on the species. 

I have definitely gotten more used to the R exercises, but there are still times when I get confused on how to answer a question or don't know what code to use. I think the book has also been a good resource to look at when I need help interpreting the data or checking to see if my codes are correct. 

Now that I have some of the main principles of evolution down, I would like to learn about a few more things in depth. I have always wondered how new species come to life. I am very intrigued by how many species there are in this planet, but I would like to know how species develop such a variety of different characteristics. Another similar question to my previous one is, what is the relationship between humans and neanderthals? 

Comments

  1. Megan McCoy12 October 2021 at 11:45

    Hey Allison!
    I also agree that I like the setup of this class. For me personally, it's a different way of learning that I haven't experienced before. I like how one day are the discussions and the next we work on R. I also went back to my first blog post and it's crazy how much our definitions of evolution have changed. We have learned a lot more than I realized!

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  2. Bryce Kidwell13 October 2021 at 08:42

    I agree with liking how the class is set up. Not having to worry about the stress of points and tests really makes it easier to focus on the material and actually learn instead of just trying to know enough information to pas a test. I think that is one of the things that the American education system struggles with most. It is also crazy how much i thought i knew about evolution from previous classes only to learn those classes barely skimmed the surface of these topics and never truly talked about the real impact and importance of these topics.

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