Introduction: For this project, we were given the task of making a cladogram, which is a branching diagram showing the closeness between organisms. We were given about 70 pieces of hardware to organize into the cladogram based on similar structures, characteristics, etc. To start off, we just organized them into similar groups based on these characteristics, without putting them on a cladogram. Then, we learned how to make a cladogram and used that knowledge to make one with the hardware. This was surprisingly difficult and took multiple weeks. To support our cladogram, we wrote stories has to how these "animals" came to be. These stories described how and why the hardware evolved to where it came today, as well as describing the ancestors of these organisms. Finally, we made a presentation in order to show our cladogram and stories to our class (seen below)
This presentation includes the pictures of our entire cladogram as well as every individual piece. The stories are sadly lost and can no longer be posted.
Concepts: Taxonomy: The branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematics.
Cladogram: A branching diagram showing the cladistic relationship between a number of species.
Evolution: The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
Speciation: The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.
Natural Selection: The differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype.
Genetic Diversity: Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species.
Reflection: This project was an overall success. However, we definitely met some challenges. We were met with the problem of having many times that set us back and cost us precious time. Every single time we lost some time, we were more and more pressured to finish. We still ended up with a great cladogram and stories to go along with it. This project gave us insight into the complex process of evolution, natural selection, and all of nature. I definitely had some problems during this project. First of all, it was the constant distractions of class that caused me to lose a lot of focus and lose time. Also, the times where we couldn't find our poster made us again lose a lot of time. I think that for the next projects, I can work on my work ethic as always, but this time in particular I should work on my organizational skills. Even with these negatives, this project still managed to teach me a lot about evolution.