Evolution Pt 1 - 10/1/17

Summary: Evolution is any change in the heritable traits within a population across generations. Evolution helps us understand the diversity and assortment of life. The central idea of evolution is that all living things originated from one common ancestor. Evolution cannot occur over a single lifetime. Therefore, if there is no reproduction, there is no evolution. The first finger or the pinky represents small population or that population can shrink. For instance, if a population or gene pool goes through an epidemic, and only 6 people survive, those 6 people will represent the new gene pool. The second or ring finger represents mating. This is where 2 mates have a baby. If two mates with the same type of gene mate, red hair, for example, could start a whole new population with a majority having red hair. The third or middle finger represents mutation - when there's a change in the DNA. Such as if a gene mutation creates a new color of hair. The fourth or the index finger represents immigration/gene flow - when a gene or person moves from one population to another. These four fingers are the cause of evolution. The last way of evolution to occur is natural selection. Actually, natural selection isn't evolution, but adaptation. Most people think natural selection is survival of the fittest, the strong survive and the weak die, but that is not the case. Natural selection means organisms who are best adapted to their environment survive. For example, a sea cucumber isn't fast or strong, but it is very well adapted to the sea floor so it would survive.

S&EP-Using Models:
A mutation is a random mishap in your DNA. It can change your physical appearance and the way you behave. Since these are completely random, it could be beneficial, harmful, or mutual. To understand how mutations work, we used M&M's and Redhots. The M&M's represented an organism. After seeing the percentages of each color in our gene pool, we added 5 Redhots to represent a mutation that occurred. As we paired up the colors and watched them reproduce some slowly disappeared, like the yellow M&M's while others flourished such as the Green M&M's. This showed how a mutation could lead to evolution since that specific gene wasn't there before and it altered the gene pool. As well as since it "reproduced", it made the gene become more dominant, as it went from 14% to 36%.

XCC- Cause and Effect:The five fingers of evolution include small population, specific mating, mutations, gene flow, and natural selection. In genetic drift, when people who don't have a mate, for example, they become isolated on an island and form their own community (Founders Effect) or they will mate with different people and grow the population (Bottlenecking Effect). In mating, people may mate with the same race, hair color, or appearance. If they do, it will increase the population of that race, hair color, and/or appearance in that gene pool. If they don't, they will most likely create a mutation. For instance, if a person will black hair mates with a person with blonde hair, it possibly will make a change in the DNA, and make brown hair. Which would change the frequency of the gene pool. Finally, there is natural selection which is when the best adapted survive. This is when the organisms who are better adapted to their environment survive. For example, there are brown and green praying mantises. Since the green can camouflage the brown get eaten so there now more green. All these factors contribute to evolution.

Multiplier:
This week I was a wanderer since I learned a lot about the topic after taking notes and doing labs.