Amy Schaulis - Evolutional Thoughts

 There is a problem that has been on the rise for decades, especially in the society we live in, that has caused countless health problems amongst Americans. This problem is referred to as obesity, which is an avoidable disease that we just can't seem to dodge. This is not an inherited trait, but a disease strongly related to lifestyle choices, such as eating habits and activity level, that is slowly taking over the lives of many. According to the CDC, approximately 42.5% of adults are obese in America, and a whopping 73.6% of adults are at the very lease considered overweight (1). These numbers are staggering, showing that a vast majority of us are above a healthy weight.  Obesity Rates 1988-2018 (2) As seen in the chart above, obesity has not always been at this level. Although still a relatively high percentage had diabetes, this rate has nearly doubled since 1988, and is continuing to trend upward. Sadly, this rate is on a similar pace of increasing in children as well. A ...

Of course, this past year has presented its fair share of challenges, but there is never a year that can be considered "easy", especially while being a college student. Although this past year has been a whole new experience, and a lot of people's lives have changed drastically (either temporarily or permanently), it wasn't all that bad. Every situation has its ups and downs, and out of every negative experience there is at least a lesson to be learned or a chance to grow.  First of all, as a student, school was a completely different experience. Although online courses are typically viewed as easier I found them to be tougher, more mentally rather than in terms of content. With online courses, self accountability is needed more than ever. Making sure to stay up to date on assignments, videos, and notes all while maintaining academic honesty and integrity is very difficult to say the least. Motivation seems to be harder to find than ever before, but this is where ther...

There exists a unique pipefish species referred to as microphis deocata in which the male is courted and houses the pregnancy rather than the female in the species. This is contradictory to a vast majority of sexually reproducing species, where the common assumption is that the female is courted and carries the unborn offspring. With these specific pipefish, the females are colorful and flashy in order to attract the mates, while the males sport a more basic drab look. The reason the appearances are flipped in this situation is most likely due to the physical attributes of the male and their role in sexual reproduction. Since the males carry the baby in this species, the females must win them over as a choice for a mate as this tends to be the source of competition rather than gender itself. With the males now being forced to be more responsible put more effort into reproduction than the females, the roles are seemingly reversed. The males now have to be the more picky of the two gende...

     Selection is often assumed to eliminate genetic variation. So, why is genetic variation then not eroded over time? Based on what you have learned in the past modules, from the basic mechanisms of evolution to quantitative genetics, reflect on the diversity of mechanisms that can explain why genetic variation is maintained in populations.       The most common discussed explanation that came to mind is mutations. While yes, there are traits that are preffered and that are then passed down through generation, but I feel like the sole reason why genetic variation still exits and not all species are genetically the exact same is because of the often occurance of mutations. If it weren't for mutations than each species would eventually all turn out to be genetically the same which could be very unfavorable if a drastic change in the environment or disease were to take place, effecing that species. Given that selection strives for benefiting the species...