- The study of the evolutionary history of a certain group of organisms, utilizes taxonomy to show relationships 
- Often represented as a family tree to show which species "yielded" later ones

Smith College

The process in which physical/behavioral changes of a population occur over long periods of time. Evolution is a scientific theory that for over the last 150 years, scientists have gathered an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports this theory.  

Evolution 

The study of identifying and grouping organisms to reconstruct the evolutionary histories of organisms.

Taxonomy in Biology

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

- While evolution allows for modifications to occur in species over time, only the most advantageous modifications will be passed on to the descendants of a population over time 
- This is known as natural selection, first described by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace

Evolution through Natural Selection

Rapid evolution in plants and animals that is instigated by human behavior, often through the manipulation of genes. 

Evolution through Artificial Selection 

Evolution is a constant process that is not exclusive to the past and occurs in our modern day! For example, cod fish have recently, rapidly evolved to be smaller in order to avoid human capture in light of excessive fishing.

Current Examples of Evolution

The mutual influence of two or more species on one another's evolution.

Coevolution

Evolution Reference Library

Phylogeny

- Social Anthropology 

- Cultural Anthropology

- Linguistic Anthropology

- Biological or Physical Anthropology

- Visual Anthropology

- Psychological Anthropology

- Archaeology 

- Applied Anthropology 

- Nutritional Anthropology 

- Digital Anthropology

Subdisciplines of Anthropology

The study of human behavior, societies, and cultures throughout history (including the present). Anthropology, in broad terms, studies methods to describe and explain the similarities and differences in biology and culture of all humanity in all times and places. 

Anthropology

Evolution by natural selection was first demonstrated by the observation that more offspring are often produced than can possibly survive. This is followed by three observable facts about living organisms: 
- 1) Traits vary among individuals with respect to their morphology, physiology, and behavior (phenotypic variation)
- 2) Different traits confer different rates of survival and reproduction (differential fitness)
- 3) Traits can be passed from generation to generation (heritability of fitness)

Basis for Darwin's Theory of Evolution

- Taxa
- Taxonomic Rank
- Taxonomic hierarchy

Components of a biological taxonomy

From largest/most general to smallest/most specific:

- domain
- kingdom 
- phylum (in zoology) / division (in botany)	
- class 
- order
- family
- genus
- species

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