Evolution's Lines of Evidence, Fossil Records | 10/22/18-10/26/18

Ditomopyge scitula pygidium by Dwergenpaartje

Summary:

       Part of understanding evolution is understanding the fact that all living things share a common ancestor and are related. One line of evidence of evolution is fossil records. Fossil records are observations seen of organisms that existed in the past. Four parts of fossil record are past lives, geologic time, paleoecology, and biodiversity. One example of past lives is growth rings in trees or shells. Growth rings tell us the number of years an individual lived. One example of geologic time is layers in rocks. Layers in rocks tell us which rocks and fossils are the oldest based on their relative positions. An example of paleontology is shapes of leafs edges, which tell us how the climate changes over time and the climate of certain time periods and places. Lastly, features that are shared by more than one species is an example of biodiversity. This tells us that species are related and can help us to figure out the ancestors. The other lines of evidence of evolution are comparative anatomy, embryology and development, and DNA comparisons.

S&EP 2-Developing and Using Models:

       I developed and used models this week when researching about fossil records and when organizing fossil records. The first model I made was split into two columns, the evidence and what that evidence tells us. This allowed me to organize my research so that I can understand how fossil records work in a more effective manner. I also used a model when doing something called the fossil record experience. This table consisted of four columns, the organism column, the eras/epochs column, when the eras/epochs began column (in millions of years ago), and the duration of the eras/epochs (in millions of years). What we did in this table was organize a certain organism and its development and evolution over millions of years. This table really allowed me to understand and see how organisms can change over long periods of time. How every million years or so they have subtle changes that over an even longer period of time, make them very different from how they looked originally.

XCC-Systems and System Models:

       The system I identified this week has to do with fossil records. Fossil records is a system due to how it has many different parts to it that allow it to run. Those parts being past lives, geologic time, palecology, and biodiversity. All of these parts allow us to receive more information on past species and organisms to truly get a better understanding of the organisms that are alive today. We get to understand through these parts working together the past lives of these organisms. How they looked, their behavior, the type of climate they lived in, how long ago did they live, and most importantly, how organisms today are related to those in the past. Fossil records is a system that relies on four main things that give us information that mainly supports the fact that all living things share a common ancestor and are related. One example of a model of this system is the second model described in the previous paragraph. That model shows how fossil records work and how organisms are related.