1. What are some of the recent discoveries that give us insight into how the diversity of life evolved?
The tortoise of the Galapagos gave some insight to the diversity of life, because of the different shapes and colors of shells each of the tortoises from island to island. This was also found in different type of the same birds founded at the Galapagos Islands (finches), they looked very different and had adapted beaks for the different types of food sources from island to island.
2. Present some of the developmental evidence for Darwin’s Tree of Life.
Darwin’s theory of the tree of life brings forth the idea that we are all interconnected and that the evidence of this can be seen in the study of embryos. The first type of embryo Darwin examined were snake eggs, he discovered boney fishers that were the beginning of legs that then disappeared in adult snakes. Next he examined human embryos and found gill like structures that letter in development became the little bones near your jaw acting a part of your inner ear.
3. Part of Darwin’s Theory of natural selection is the idea that different individuals within the same species compete against each other. Explain how this competition led to evolutionary change in (1) the Galapagos finches, (2) pocket mouses in the Pinacarte Desert.
The theory of natural selection was highlighted in the beak formation of the finches on the Galapagos Islands, Each beak shape could be trace to a different island with a different foods source, and it was because of the environment that the birds formed these different adaptations, for if they did not they would not be able to survive. In the example of the pocket mice of the Pinacarte Deserts you can see Darwin’s theory of natural selection in that the mice that live in the dark color zones of rocks have developed a dark fur and those mice that live in the lighter color rocks have maintain or developed a little fur, it is because of this adaptation that these mice can survive their fate of being the “snickers bar of the desert”.
4. Give a couple of examples of single mutations that we can identify in particular genes have proven to be very beneficial.
A good example of single mutation is the fur color gene in the pocket mouse helping them to bind into their environments, the color vision in a different species of monkeys that helps them to differentiate between healthier red leaves and tough old green leaves, and a special kind of anti-freeze blood type that would keep a fish of the arctic form freezing to death.
5. Why is it so surprising that humans only have about 23,000 genes?
It’s surprising that we have only have 23,000 genes because of how complex we are and that corn and other plants and species have so many more parts to their genome then we do as humans.
6. What does the “switch” that Sean Carroll found in fruit flies do?
The “switch” that was discovered in fruit flies allows them to turn gene’s on and off that controls the paintbrush gene that adds the dark spots on the flies wings.
7. Why do Kinglsey and Schluter think they’ll find the same switch sticklebacks as in manatees, even though the rear fins were lost at completely different times in these lineages?
Kinglsey and Schluter believed that due to the discovery of the left over bone structure on the underbelly of the lake sticklebacks, may prove that same switch used to turn on and off the spike may also turn on and off the development of hind limbs with in other creatures such as snakes and manatees.
8. The fact that Hox genes control the development of fins in paddlefish suggests that the evolutionary transition of fins to limbs wasn’t all that dramatic. Explain.
The Hox genes found in paddlefish suggest that the beginnings of limbs have been present all along, and that the difference between a fin developing and an arm developing is based on simple mutations.
9. Hansell Stedman found a mutation in the human genome that should lead to muscle problems. But it turns out this mutation has benefited us? Why and how?
The mutation in the gene stops the jaw muscle from growing to large, closing off our skulls bone plates. The mutation has benefited us by allowing our skull to expand and grow make space for our brains to grow larger, causing us to evolve to who we are now.
10. Where are most of the genetic differences between humans and chimps located? (i.e., what kind of DNA?)
The DNA differences between chimps and humans can be mostly mapped when looking at the development and creation of our brains. The DNA changes come many times in the form of switches causing mutations that affect the size and complexity of our brains.
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