Evolution of Kathryn's Knowledge of Evolution

One of the most important mechanisms for evolution is mutations in gene sequences in DNA. An interesting question to ask is: do mutation rates evolve? The short answer is yes, mutation rates can and do evolve. This is due to the susceptibility of a gene to mutation. Previous mutations of a gene can cause that gene to be more likely to mutate, and thus the process continues down the line. In some cases this could be a good thing, and the result of an adaptation. In an ever-changing environment, a high rate of mutation could be favorable or beneficial. The inverse is also true. In a mostly stagnant environment, a low rate of mutation would be favorable. It is interesting to think that mutations themselves can evolve and cause evolution!

When humans consider fitness, we usually focus on strength, appearance, or stamina of a single person or type of person. In the world of evolution, fitness may be based on strength, appearance, or stamina, but it is not the same thing. Fitness in the natural world is the ability to remain alive and reproduce relative to other organisms. It may be a case where the fastest offspring gets the most food, the prettiest bird finds the most mates, or the organism best suited for the climate continues to live. One of the most interesting examples of relative fitness, in my opinion, is that of the kangaroo. Kangaroos are marsupials, which means part of the growth of a fetal kangaroo happens in the pouch on the outer side of the kangaroo rather than in the uterus. This means any potential kangaroos must crawl to a source of life within the mother kangaroo's pouch. Since kangaroos produce more fetal kangaroos than can fit in their pouches, a select number of fetal kangaroos make it to their m...

One of the most intriguing concepts concerning evolution is the ability of species to change and adapt to their environments over time. I know I love my little red poodle, and I also know that he would not exist without evolution or our understanding of it. My little dog is very different than his ancestors, and this demonstrates the idea that novel forms of organisms are derived from earlier forms of that organism, but are distinctly different even though the organisms share a common ancestor. This is also called macroevolution.  As seen above, the gray wolf is the ancestor and the pug is one of its descendants. We as humans selected for favorable traits (maybe not so favorable in the case of the pug) and bred dogs together until the unfavorable traits were uprooted and only the traits we wanted in the animals were present. Though this was not natural selection, it was still selection on the basis of desirable heritable traits. The people who made this graphic wanted to make it ab...

In my experience, my peers, pastors, and parents have explained evolution in many different ways. As a senior in college, I understand that the concept of evolution is not new, nor does it conflict with my beliefs. Humans have always wanted to understand the world and how it works, and, as of right now, our current theory of evolution is the best understanding we have of how our world works. We can provide evidence that traits can be passed down, that groups of organisms can change, and that organisms that once may have had an ability to reproduce with one another can no longer do so. The scientific theory of evolution is one of change and adaptation, not of a "creatorless and random process" as evolution had been described to me in the past. To me, and all of science, the theory of evolution is functionally fact. Though it cannot be proven without a shadow of a doubt, all of science and the human experience can be traced to the concept of evolution and a changing world. We a...