Fitness and selection
Evolution Final Project
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Convergence, Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest
So wait, Pocupines are not related to Hedgehogs and they both aren't related to Echidnas? But how?...they have the same 'hair'.. This is one of my favorite examples of Convergent Evolution. If one were to place these organisms next to each other, of course at first sight we would believe them to be closely related, if not at least distant cousins according to their phenotype. However, despite their shared trait of quills, these mammals are different from one another and evolved via different lineages. In fact, Enchidnas are more closely related to Platypuses and Kangaroos than they are Hedgehogs or Pocupines. In the case of these cute pokey creatures, it was enviromental pressures that encouraged the formation of quills, as this became their most effective form of defense. Providing evolutionary biologists with a beautiful example of Convergent Evolution; a shared evolutionary trait among individuals that evolved from different lineages.
Evolutionary Trends and Why
Trends in evolution are not like the trends we speak of in every day life, where the trend pops up and disappears just as swiftly as it appeared. When regarding evolutionary trends, these are considered change to a lineage or multiple lineages over a period time, these changes improve or remove characteristics of a species for specific reason regarding environment. I like to think of amphibians when considering evolutionary trends. Amphibians are some of the most diverse creatures on planet earth and continue to provide excellent examples of evolution. Amphibians have evolved to live in many diverse areas but one trend all amphibians have kept is moist skin. This trend is a valuable factor of their evolution, whether it is a tree frog or a salamander all amphibians require water for respiration, but why is this important? The development of amphibians begins in water; like fish they have gills when hatched but throughout development the gills disappear and lung fuction is a main s...
WOW! Incredible illustrations and clarity. I will definitely be checking out your blog to help me understand things.
ReplyDeleteYour images look great!!! They remind me of moo dang hehe. But I love this representation of how phenotypes are present in different proportions after reproduction!
ReplyDeleteI love your drawings. I think you explained this topic very well. It was really easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteI adore your cute little hippos. Not only were your visuals adorable, but they also explained and demonstrated the idea of absolute and relative fitness perfectly!
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