Unit 8 Reflection

Unit 8 Reflection

          In this unit, we learned about artificial selection, natural selection, evolution, speciation, and the geographic timeline. We were taught the difference between artificial selection and natural selection, which to me, sounded as if it'd be nearly nonexistent, but as it turned out they were nearly two completely different types of selection. 

Artificial selection involves breeders picking out which animals to breed for which desired traits.

Natural selection occurs when a species is unable to adapt with the phenotypes it was born with, and thus, dies off.

        http://www.csus.edu/indiv/l/loom/wk%2015/dogs.jpg

  

        

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/images/interviews/naturalselection1.gif

                 We also learned what speciation was. Notice how I said we learned "what" it was and not "about" it. That's because I had absolutely no idea this term even existed before this unit. Apparently, speciation is the rise of two or more species from one existing species. I thought this was simply called evolution but apparently it's more specific than just that. Evolution is just the change in allele frequency over time.

          The geographic timeline is still pretty confusing to me, but I'm sure it won't be once we finish our group project of creating an actual timeline on it. 

   I think it'd be interesting to learn more about the dinosaur's downgraded evolution. I want to know how a giant velociraptor could eventually transform into a chicken after a couple billion years.

         As for the assertiveness, I'm still working on it. I'm not very good at being assertive because I often confuse assertiveness with aggression, and I obviously don't want to be aggressive. One thing I did was when the woman making my sandwich at Subway asked if I wanted my sandwich toasted or not I actually said no this time instead of just awkwardly agreeing to it. Baby steps.