Category Archives: 5. Evolution & Biodiversity

Topic 5 Evolution & Biodiversity

What is Evolution? – an 8m 53s video from Stated Clearly:

Some excellent interactive animations & tutorials on Variation & Evolution just click on Variation, Selection & Time at the bottom of this page (Learn.Genetics).

In Crash Course Biology #20 – Evolution: It’s a Thing, Hank gets real with us in a discussion of evolution – it’s a thing, not a debate.

Myths and misconceptions about evolution from TED-Ed.

Paul Andersen (from Bozeman High) explains Microevolution.

The whole topic in one powerpoint (if you want):

IB Biology Evolution 2015 from Bob Smullen

The Evolution of Life on Earth in 24 hrs – a 2m 19s animation from AsapSCIENCE:

5.1 Evidence for Evolution

5.1 evidence for evolution from Bob Smullen

Find a video lesson on this sub-topic at Dan Rott videos.

What is the Evidence for Evolution? An 11m video from Stated Clearly:

Proof of evolution that you can find on your body, a 4m video.

Paul Andersen (from Bozeman High) describes pieces of Evidence of Evolution that Charles Darwin used to support the idea of evolution and his process of natural selection (and here is a similar lesson: Evidence for Evolution).

A 2m 30s video on one example of intermediate fossils as evidence for evolution from Richard Dawkins:

The science of evolutionary developmental biology, a song from A Capella Science:

Key terms as flashcards from Quizlet (you also can test yourself in a number of ways):

5.2 Natural Selection

5.2 natural selection from Bob Smullen

What is Natural Selection? – a 9m 19s video from Stated Clearly:

Darwin’s Natural Selection – explained in a 4m 3s video:

Find a video lesson on this sub-topic at Dan Rott videos.

An animated tutorial from McGraw Hill Education – Evolutionary Change (the different evolutionary forces)

An excellent narrated tutorial on Evolution – the big picture which includes evidence for evolution (from Sinauer Associates).

Natural selection interactive simulation from PhET (University of Colorado) and here is more information and a peppered moth game from (Arizona State University). Also, Endler’s guppies (natural vs sexual selection) simulation from NetLogo and 2 evolution labs from BioInteractive (hhmi): Lizard Evolution Virtual Lab and Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab. Finally, Deer Mice a natural selection simulation from ConnectedBio.

In Crash Course Biology #14 – Natural Selection, Hank guides us through the process of natural selection, the key mechanism of evolution. Hank’s brother helps him present The Evolutionary Epic (Big History#5). Darwin and Natural Selection (Crash Course History of Science #22) in 13m.

Paul Andersen explains Natural SelectionMicroevolution and details Examples of Natural Selection.

Key terms as flashcards from Quizlet (you also can test yourself in a number of ways):

5.3 Classification of Biodiversity

5.3 classification of biodiversity from Bob Smullen

IB Biology 5.3 Slides: Classification & Taxonomy from Jacob Cedarbaum

A couple of introductory TED-Ed videos: the secret life of plankton (6m) and how life came to land (5m 27s).

Classification of Living Things (4m):

An animated tutorial from McGraw Hill Education on the Three Domains and here is the tree of life: the ancestors’ tale in OneZoom. And the biomass distribution on earth.

InThe Classification of Life, Paul Andersen explains the goal of classification as well as its history (you won’t be tested on this but it’s important) and in The Three Domains of Life he describes the three domains.

In Crash Course Biology #19 – Taxonomy: Life’s Filing System, Hank tells us the background story and explains the importance of the science of classifying living things. In #22 – Simple Animals: Sponges, Jellies & Octopuses, Hank introduces us to the “simplest” of the animals and in #23 – Complex Animals: Annelids & Arthropods, Hank continues our exploration of animal phyla with the more complexly organised annelida and arthropoda.

The three different ways mammals give birth, a TED-Ed lesson in 5m.

A quiz on Plant Classification (good luck!).

The importance of classification – woodlice names in the UK & elsewhere.

Key terms as flashcards from Quizlet (you also can test yourself in a number of ways):

5.4 Cladistics

IB Biology 5.4 Slides: Cladistics from Jacob Cedarbaum

IB 5.4 – Cladograms, a 15m video from Dan Rott.

Paul Andersen (from Bozeman High) discusses Phylogenetics and then shows you how to construct a Cladogram from a group of organisms using shared characteristics.

Key terms as flashcards from Quizlet (you also can test yourself in a number of ways):