Evolution in Hawaii : a supplement to teaching about evolution and the nature of science / Steve Olson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Olson, Steve, 1956-

Contributor:

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Evolution (Biology)--Hawaii.

Evolution (Biology).

Species--Hawaii.

Species.

Isolating mechanisms--Hawaii.

Isolating mechanisms.

Evolution (Biology)--Study and teaching.

Science--Study and teaching.

Science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (56 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, c2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

As both individuals and societies, we are making decisions today that will have profound consequences for future generations. From preserving Earth's plants and animals to altering our use of fossil fuels, none of these decisions can be made wisely without a thorough understanding of life's history on our planet through biological evolution. Companion to the best selling title Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, Evolution in Hawaii examines evolution and the nature of science by looking at a specific part of the world. Tracing the evolutionary pathways in Hawaii, we are able to draw powerful conclusions about evolution's occurrence, mechanisms, and courses. This practical book has been specifically designed to give teachers and their students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of evolution using exercises with real genetic data to explore and investigate speciation and the probable order in which speciation occurred based on the ages of the Hawaiian Islands. By focusing on one set of islands, this book illuminates the general principles of evolutionary biology and demonstrate how ongoing research will continue to expand our knowledge of the natural world.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Preface

Hawaii Is One of the Best Places in the World to Study Biological Evolution

Biological Evolution Explains the Characteristics of Hawaii's Plants and Animals

Science Produces Explanations That Can Be Tested Using Empirical Evidence

Scientific Research Has Revealed How the Hawaiian Islands Originated

The Evolution of Life on Earth Set the Stage for Evolution in Hawaii

Panel 1: Plate Tectonics and the Ages of the Hawaiian Islands

An Adaptive Radiation Has Led to a Dramatic Diversification of the Drosophilids in Hawaii

Panel 2: Evolutionary Relationships Among the Picture-Winged Drosophilids

Many Other Species Have Undergone Adaptive Radiations in Hawaii

Panel 3: The Evolutionary History of the Silversword Alliance

Alien Species Pose a Severe Threat to Hawaii's Native Plants and Animals

Many Critical Problems Cannot Be Addressed Without Understanding Biological Evolution

Selected Bibliography

Teaching Exercise: Tracing the Evolutionary Origins of Picture-Winged Drosophila Species

Teacher's Manual

Data Tables

Student Reading

Student Worksheet

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780309526574

9780309166706

0309166705

9780309526579

0309526574

OCLC:

60365210