Final Day

1
Final Day

• Questions

2
Molly Small - Semantics

• Dogs and wolves can produce nonsterile, viable
  offspring and are separate species in the Canidae
  family. This seems to contradict the species
  definition, unless the definition is shifted from
  actually able to reproduce to frequency of
  offspring.
• What other family members contradict this
  definition? Is the frequency of offspring, (not
  ability to create it), used in any definitions of
  species? Would ability to create offspring be
  better suited to families?

3
Interspecies hybridization

• The Overwhelming majority of species cannot and
  do not mate with each other.
• In a few rare instances very closely related
  species have the potential to interbreed.
  Horses/donkeys/zebras as may lions/tigers or
  bison/cattle may interbreed.

4

• It is Maladaptive for one species to mate with
  another. It is a waste of time and energy
  because most are unsuccessful the hybrid
  offspring die or are sterile so the reproductive
  effort is wasted.
• horse/donkey sterile mule
• domestic/wild cat fertile female sterile male
  SPECIES high success rates

5

• Reproductive Isolating mechanisms
• Physical separation
• Temporal isolation - mate during different
  seasons, days, time.
• Behavioral isolation - they dont dance right
• Mechanical isolation - size shape matters
• Morphological isolation - body size/shape matter
• Gamete isolation - sperm egg dont fuse

6
Leesa

• How much ice has to melt before cooling occurs?

7
Karen Koenig

• The 7 pillars of evolution evidence are nearly
  the same as the methods used in classification.
  Is there a reason they are so similar?
• Are we evolving right now?

8
Karen Koenig

• p. 157 The discussion about truth. Lets talk
  about this.
• Karen- what did you say about true/false
  questions?

9
Steve

• How is evolution taught in other countries?
• Do they have a religious rift with science that
  is as large as the one in the United states?
• Is it only a problem because our separation of
  church and state?

10
Vik

• p. 421 First, people deny that its true then
  they deny that it is important finally they
  credit the wrong person.
• Could this be used as a tool in an assignment
  such as find examples of this.

11
Matt

• p469-71 So do we know exactly what caused the
  extinction of the dodo (well, other than the fact
  they were by all accounts not the most colorful
  crayon in the box)?

12
Raphus cucullatus - Dodo

• three foot high flightless bird that lived on the
  island of Mauritius
• nested on the ground and ate fruit
• Evolved to take advantage of an island with no
  predators

13
Mauritius Island
Extinction caused by a natural disaster that took
the population numbers down to the point they
werent viable. (1693)
14
Leif

• Will Science ever be able to become the reliable
  and accepted truth about human history?
• Even if we were to find some unquestionable
  absolute proof that humans evolved from apes with
  not gaps in between, do you think the general
  public would fully accept it?

15
Kari

• p443. Scientists have a natural tendency to
  interpret finds in a way that most flatters
  their stature. It is remarkable how often the
  first interpretations of new evidence have
  confirmed the preconceptions of the discoverer.
  Do you think we as teachers have a tendency to do
  this?

16
Jeff

• p. 47 The state is pushing EVERY LEARNER
  INQUIRES (ELI), are most teachers doing to treat
  that as hands-on, and overlook minds-on?
• p. 51-53 Are high school standards based on the
  realist philosophy?

17
Josh

• How many tools or devices have our ancestors used
  that are of historical importance?
• What makes something of historical importance?
  Many of these things are useless now, so why are
  they important?
• How do we evaluate importance?

18
Kevin

• p. 444 almost every external aspect of the two
  figures is necessarily suppositional.
• As with our early dinosaur exhibits, how often
  does this actually occur and is it actually
  necessary?

19
The Nature of Life

• And the Study of
• Biological Evolution

20
The Scientific Method

• A New Model

21
What do you like about this model?
What dont you like?
22
Science

• is one way of knowing the world
• It doesnt rely on opinion, but on testable
  evidence
• It doesnt deal with irrational or supernatural
  concepts.

23
The role of technology

• The accuracy of the data and therefore the
  quality of exploration, depends on the technology
  scientists use.
• Is there ever a time when technology reduces the
  accuracy?
• How readily do people accept technological
  innovations? Why?

24
What do you think?

• Since science relies on on-going testing of
  assumptions.....it is self correcting?
• Is it?

25
Science

• Is it the most powerful mechanism we have for
  confirming data?
• What would a realist say?
• What would a social constructivist say?

26
Characteristics of Scientific Explanations (p.
12-13)

• Based upon empirical data
• Are testable
• Are open to change
• Do you agree?

27
Based upon Empirical Evidence

• Obtained through our five senses
• Repeated confirmation of observations turn
  observation into fact

28
Are testable

• Science doesnt address things that are not
  testable
• Hypothesis a testable statement about the world
• Prediction follows a hypothesis and should be
  able to be verified or falsified

29
Open to change

• can be improved in light of NEW evidence
• an explanation that fails a test of new evidence
  or reasoning IS REVISED.
• Do you think this is so?

30
TheoriesTy

• Are comprehensively extensively tested
  explanations.
• Most major ideas in science are supported by lots
  of evidence

31
Facts

• Society equates this with ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
• Scientists equate this with GENERALLY AGREED
  UPON.
• Which is the realist? Which is the
  constructivist?

32
Theory

• Society views this as a wild guess with little or
  no evidence to support it.
• Scientists is an explanation that is firmly
  supported by evidence and widely accepted within
  the scientific community.

33
All scientific explanations

• must be supported by data collected through
  observations experiments
• must make predictions that are verifiable
• must be logical
• must be communicated open to critical review
• must be changed upon new contradictory evidence
• must account for the world through the operations
  of natural processes

34
Evolution Evidence