Charles Darwin

The Scopes trial was the case against John Scopes, a biology teacher in Dayton Tennessee. Scopes was charged for defying Tennessee's newly placed Butler Act. This case is what catapulted the dispute of creationism versus evolution and how it should be taught in schools. The outcome of this 1925 trial affected the rest of the 19th century extensively, however as the 20th century neared, the effect became less prevalent. John Scopes was a local biology teacher and was arrested for teaching…

It has been argued that “the late nineteenth century was a scientific age. Literature could not simply remain the same after Darwin: the rules had changed” (Link 75) and that is what naturalist did. They started to reveal the origin to people’s actions and beliefs, as well as the cause. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin discusses some of the most relevant actions and new beliefs, such as divorce, adultery or woman and feminity. Although the work was quite controversial when she first wrote it, in…

Investigating the Effects of Environmental Differences in Nest Ectoparasite Abundance on Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) Reproductive Success Materials and Methods Mountain bluebirds, (Sialia currucoides) are sexually dimorphic insectivorous songbirds, which defend a breeding territory approximately five ha in size, while giving biparental care to their altricial offspring (Power and Lombardo 1996). Bluebirds are often parasitized by hematophagous nest ectoparasitic blowfly larvae, which…

Political polarization has always been a deeply rooted reality of American politics but it traces further back than the United States itself. Darwin proposed that morality was an adaption which evolved by natural selection both at an individual level and a group level. Morality or a strong commitment to virtue helped group cohesion and lead tribes with more virtuous members to take over other tribes which did not. In his book The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt argues that group selection shaped…

Hylobates lar Stephen Estrada Hylobates lar otherwise known as the lar gibbon is a species of gibbon belonging to the hylobates genus. Despite the unique anatomy of the lar gibbon and the current conservation status of the species, there has been little research into the behaviors and social structures of gibbon populations. In this paper an attempt shall be made at consolidating what research there is to provide an in-depth look at the lar gibbon, both from a biological and behavioral…

Name: Desire Salazar Date: 12/15/17 Period: Pre-AP Biology 5th Title: Population Genetics and Evolution Problem: How does the Hardy-Weinberg law provide evidence of evolution? Background Information: The lab will determine how the Hardy-Weinberg law provides evidence of evolution in a population. A population is “a group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time” (Biology Online). In each population, are three key elements: size, density, and…

In February of 2002 primatologist Jane Goodall delivered a speech titled “What Separates us From Chimpanzees.” Her purpose is to address the topic as a question, providing specific evidence, and call us to action. Goodall’s primary audience are those who were viewing the TED Talk at the time it occurred. This included people who are both very intelligent in the field of zoology, and those who are naive. Goodall taps the interests of those well educated in a field like hers, but at the same…

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that occurs by random chance rather than natural selection. In genetic drift, a population experiences a change in the frequency of a given allele, prompted by random luck rather than a need for adaptation. This differs from natural selection, in which allelic frequency is altered based on the fittest genes surviving to reproduce and the weaker genes dying off. Genetic drift tends to be a phenomenon amongst smaller populations, while natural selection…

Mutations are changes in the genetic code which is the only way through which new genetic material and variations can be obtained. Mutations further include chromosomal mutations which is necessary for various variations. Genetic Drift can be defined as how the changes that occur randomly in the frequency of alleles which impact populations of many species. These also lead to effects such as bottle neck and founders effect. Natural Selection revolves around the concept of fitness which…

New Take on Tropical Songbirds’ Alternative Lifestyles A breakthrough study published on Friday in the journal Science uses life history theory to explain why tropical songbirds typically raise fewer chicks than temperate songbirds. What’s life history theory? Life history theory seeks to explain the ways in which natural selection works to determine a given organism’s anatomy and behaviors. Life history theory suggests that reproductive tendencies, or “life history strategies,” are part of a…