Unit 8: Phylogeny, Systematics, and Biogeography.

"Every species has come into existence coincident both in time and space with a preexisting closely allied species." - Alfred Russell Wallace, the "father" of biogeography, in his essay On the law which has regulated the introduction of new species.

"Nature does not proceed by leaps and bounds." - Carolus Linnaeus, creator of the rules of biological nomenclature.

Objective 1:

Absolute vs. relative dating (1c)

Objective 2:

Continental drift (2a)
Did cracking continent trigger a deep freeze?: The break-up of a supercontinent may have caused a 'Snowball Earth'. (optional)
Extinction of the North American large mammals: Who or what killed them off? (optional)

Objective 3:

Conditions necessary for species dispersal (3 a and b)

Objective 6:

Convergent evolution (6c)
Confused by evolutionary trees? Check out Understanding Evolution.

Objective 8:

"Evolution in the Everyday World" from Scientific American (optional; see Blackboard for link)

Objective 9:

Primates (9a)
Hominoid divergence (9d)
A recent split of humans and chimps? (optional)
Unique characteristics of primates (optional)
Earliest "human footprints" found (optional)

Objective 10:

Characteristics that differ between apes and humans (10b)
Peking man older than previously thought! (optional)
"The Human Pedigree" from Scientific American (optional; see Blackboard for link)

Objective 13:

Latitudinal trends in species diversity (13e)
Life is faster in the temperate zones (optional) (New!)

Objective 14:

Lake turnover (download a .pdf file)
More lake turnover
What is a mesotrophic lake? (14b)
Beebe Lake
Change of course for ocean circulation (optional)

Objective 15:

More on biomes
Biomes slideshow

Optional Supplementary Material:

• An Archaeological Facelift: Computer reconstruction of "Toumai" skull suggests that the owner is the oldest known hominid, Sahelanthropus tchadensis.

• Island of the Lost Hominids: Remains of a previously unknown species of hominid have been discovered on the Indonesian Island of Flores. A new wrinkle in the evolutionary history of humankind!
  • Researchers verify Flores hobbit as new species of human being.
  • Artist's reconstruction of the Flores hominin.
    
• Faster than a Hyena? Running May Make Humans Special. Study suggests that the ability to run long distances efficiently was a key evolutionary innovation for humans.
• Jaw-dropping theory of human evolution: Did mankind trade chewing power for a bigger brain?
• Survival of the fittest females: Tiny animals evolve through the ages without males' help.
• Molecular clocks in action: Planting the mammalian supertree

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