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Question 1

What is evolution? Why is it considered a scientific theory? How is this different from a “Hunch”- or “guess”-type theory?

Answer 1

• Evolution is a change in gene frequencies over time.
• It is considered a scientific theory because it is the systematic attempt to provide a natural explanation of how species undergo genetic change through time.
• This is different from a hunch or guess type theory because evolution is a fact, they are just working to figure out how it occurs.

Question 2

Who first proposed evolution by means of natural selection? On what observations did he (or they ) base his (or their ) theory?

Answer 2

Darwin & Wallace, by looking at the different types of animals on each island and seeing how the strongest adapted.

Question 3

What supporting evidence for evolution is now available for us?

Answer 3

they has been a gradual change in animal anatomy through time. New species are forming from older species. Transitional forms between groups of organisms. For example; fossils, DNA, etc.

Question 4

Why is an understanding of evolution and how is works so important in environmental sciences?

Answer 4

• It helps explain the past, extinction, and what to expect in the future.
• It helps us make advances in biology and in medicine,
• It also shows the possible consequences of human behavior within the environment.

Question 5

What is exponential growth? How does it differ from arithmetic growth?

Answer 5

• Exponential growth is the doubling of the start. So if you begin with two people, according to exponential growth it would develop to 4 and then 8 and then 16 and so on. —– -Arithmetic growth is 2+2+2+2 and so on. Arithmetic Growth is maintaining same amount, based on amount (2 parents, 2 kids).
• ->the number of new individuals added to a population in each generation as a multiple of the number present in the previous generations

Question 6

What is Malthusian growth?(After whom is this kind 0f growth named?)

Answer 6

Named after Thomas Malthus, Malthusian growth explains “boom-bust”, that a population (with necessary resources) will grow rapidly until it is out of resources when it will begin to die out until the necessary resources have a chance to grow back, and then it will continue the boom-bust cycle.

Question 7

What is irruptive growth?

Answer 7

→ Irruptive growth→ growth pattern over time, defined by population explosions and subsequent sharp population crashes, or diebacks

Question 8

What is logistic growth?

Answer 8

→ Logistic growth: changes in population size that follows a predictable repeatable S-shaped trajectory

Question 9

What (as discussed in class) is the main conceptual difference between humans and other animals, including earlier hominids?

Answer 9

The development of agriculture, we have foresight and can plan ahead