Evidence of Work
During this project each group in the class got to choose an animal on the endangered list to research and try to come up with ways people could help the population come back. My group chose the Giant Panda. We started by doing research and taking notes when we found good info. Then we compiled it into a slide show where we answered questions and basically talked about what a panda is, their habitat, their diet, location on the food chain, etc. After we revised and went through our slides making sure it was presentable we practiced going through it a few times (the real presentation was kinda bad but whatever we did our best.) Also, at the end of the project we had to each say whether or not we think the population would come back and I don't think anyone in our group thought it would which is kind of sad to think none of us believe humans will stop doing what they are doing or even slow down. |
Content
Evolution: The process where a species changes over time into a new species. For example pandas have evolved to have a false thumb to hold bamboo. Extinction: When a species is no longer found in the entire world. All thought China is taking efforts to stop the giant panda from going extinct. Natural Selection: The process of where the environment causes an animal to change so they can survive. The pandas developed an extra toe to help them grab food which was very advantageous so they didn't die off. Artificial Selection: This happens when humans decide how a species changes. Most of all pandas are in captivity where people are trying to bring the population back that's the only example that even kind of makes sense to me. Biodiversity: Biodiversity is all the different animals in an ecosystem. The more biodiversity there is the better because it keeps everything in a good balance so if the pandas went extinct there wouldn't be anything in their place and there would be a imbalance in the food chain. Gene Pool: The gene pool is all of the genes in a population of a specific organism. The panda gene pool gives them black markings on their face and six toes. Every panda has these because over time it has spread through the population. Mutation: A mutation is a random occurrence that gives an animal a trait that makes them different from the rest and if it is advantageous it will be passed down to their offspring. Mutations are on of the only was the gene pool can change and sometimes it is a good thing when it happens. Gene Flow: Gene flow is when genetic variation and biodiversity is taken away from a population. This is another way the gene pool can change. The panda population has never really been effected by this because they have always only lived in one area. Speciation: Speciation is where a species splits into multiple species over time. This probably happened to pandas when their ancestors spread out and changed to their environment but only the ones in China have survived this long. Shrinking Population: When there is a steep decline in population of an organism it reduces the variety of genes in the gene pool. If the species comes back over time only the traits of the survivors will be there. Non-random Mating: An animal chooses a mate based on their specific preferences, every organism does this including humans. Animals with advantageous traits mate more then one with less dominant traits. For example when the first panda with a sixth toe was ready to mate they probably spread their genes to a lot of the population because it is advantageous. Adaptation: An adaptation is a change in a specific animal in a population that is advantageous. Adaptations help a species be setter suited for life in their environment so they can thrive. Mutations are only called adaptations if they help the population. Pandas have adapted to mainly eat bamboo because where they life is covered in bamboo but if they can eat a rodent or bird they will. |
Reflection: I actually enjoyed this project a lot because I love learning about animals and nature. Our group have very good collaboration for example we could share their ideas for the project and everyone was open to listening to each others ideas and we sometimes implemented them and sometimes didn't. I feel like I did a lot to help the team finish the project and I did a good portion of the work. All though I did that well I slipped up a few times. First, one of the days I did absolutely no work whatsoever because I was in a bad mood. I should have just pushed through that and focused on the project. Also, I did all the notes for my group and I probably should have taken a leadership role and divided it between everyone instead of doing it by myself. I could have done that much more efficiently if I chose to ask for assistance. Overall, I think my group and I did a good job and I would definitely do this project again if I had the chance.