Analogy/Homology

1. Homologous Traits

a. A human arm and horse’s front leg possess homologous structures.

b. The human arm and horse’s front leg have the same number of bones.  They also have the same arrangement. Each has a humerus, radius, ulna, carpels, metacarpals, and phalanges. Humans require both bones and muscle to coordinate in order to complete gross and fine motor movements.   Horses front legs bones are connected, which allows the horse to bend and lift their leg for movement.

c. The common ancestor of the horse and humans is the dinosaur. Humans and horses share forelimbs.  They both have protective membranes surrounding their fetuses. The membrane protects the egg while in humans, horses, and hard-shelled alligator eggs.  This is why I believe they are common ancestors.

d.  

2. Analogous Traits

            a. Two different species that possess analogous traits are the owl

            and the butterfly.

b. The analogous trait for owls and butterflies is they both have wings.  Butterflies have two pairs of wings, while owls have one pair.  Butterfly wings do not have bones but owl wings do have bones.  Owl wings have feathers while butterfly wings are bare.  Both butterflies and owls have adjusted to life in the air and in doing so, have changed their wings.  Their wings have evolved independently in each of group and do not indicate that they are closely related.

c. The insect wing and the tetrapod wing did not exist when the insect and tetrapods last shared a common ancestor.  Their respective wings evolved independently of each other after they have become separate evolutionary ancestries. Butterfly wings and owl wings are analogous structures because they evolved independently of each other from different precursors.

d.  

                        


Protein Synthesis

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Good luck

The individual who mostly influenced and contributed to Darwin’s development and theory of Natural selection is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck contributed the theory when environments changed, organisms had to change their behavior to survive. Lamarck theorized, as organisms adapted to their surroundings, nature also drove them inexorably upward from simple forms to increasingly complex ones (www.understandingevolution.org). Similarly to Darwin, Lamarck suggested that life took on its present form through natural processes as opposed to miraculous interventions.

The point directly affected by Lamarck’s theory to ‘How does evolution work?” is, if the environment changes, the traits that are helpful or adaptive to that environment will be different.  Lamarck’s theory is, when the environment changed, organisms had to change their behavior to survive (www.understandingevolution.org).

I do not believe Darwin would have developed his theory without the influence of Lamarck’s evolution theory.  Lamarck was a founding professor of the Musee National d’Histoire Naturelle as an expert on invertebrates. He was one the first evolution theorists to argue that life was not fixed. Lamarck provided initial theories to be further explored and expanded upon.

Darwin’s theory directly dispelled the church’s ideas that God created all miraculously.  He was hesitant to cause a disturbance in the church against the Naturalists.  He did not want to be outspoken related to a theory against God. Eventually after 23 years, he published Origins of Species.

Reference: www.understandingevolution.org

Stranded on a desert island

If I was stranded on a desert island I would bring a fire starter and knife. I would bring a fire starter so I will always be able to start a fire and create warmth, light in the darkness, and cook the food I am able to eat.  I would also bring a knife because I can create other weapons for fishing, protection, housing, and creating other weapons.  I will be able to survive as long as I want to with just these two items.  Other items would be a luxury and not necessarily required for survival.