Evolution of homologous structures by adaptive radiation explains similarities in structure when there are differences in function AND Comparison of the pentadactyl limb of mammals, birds, amphibians & reptiles with different modes of locomotion

Introducing a Revolutionary Evolutionary Biology Activity! Embark on an engaging journey of scientific discovery with the Comparative Anatomy Simulation. This innovative teaching resource takes students on an exciting exploration of evolutionary change, captivating their imagination while enhancing their understanding of these important concepts. Within this carefully crafted document lies a transformative educational experience that has already received rave reviews from educators like you. Get ready to inspire your students as they delve into the world of evolution, and rest assured, they'll be engaged! This activity requires nothing more than this comprehensive guide and a handful of everyday items you can easily find around your home. Think baby clothes hangers, plastic forks, plastic cups, or any similar objects you choose. The possibilities are endless! The classroom experience unfolds as students are divided into six dynamic lab groups, each representing one of three distinct organism families derived from our chosen household items. Picture this: a dramatic scenario unfolds in which a natural disaster strikes, splitting the classroom into two distinct environments. On one side, there's a flooded swamp where organisms must adapt to float. On the other side, a lava forest awaits, challenging organisms to evolve for flight. To achieve their evolutionary goals, students can access shared materials such as tape, glue, paper, rubber bands, and more. The only rule is simple but crucial: their creature must incorporate at least one element from their original family object, whether in whole or in part. As the simulation unfolds, students witness which organisms survive and then engage in thought-provoking discussions. They explore the homologous and analogous structures within their creations, identifying the shared original items and distinguishing between the floaters and the fliers. They even discover vestigial features. But the learning doesn't stop there. Students are encouraged to make predictions about the ongoing evolution in these environments based on which organisms emerged successfully. In a profound exploration, they're prompted to examine a fundamental weakness in the model: the ability for organisms to choose to change. This leads them to contemplate the ideas of Lamarck and how they apply differently in the real world. Unlock the doors to captivating scientific inquiry and foster a deep understanding of evolution with the Comparative Anatomy Simulation. Your students will not only gain invaluable knowledge but also develop critical thinking skills that will serve them well in their academic journey and beyond. Don't miss the opportunity to revolutionize your teaching approach and captivate your students' curiosity. Order your copy today!

Posts about Comparative Anatomy Guides written by Dr Alex Fitzpatrick

Comparative Anatomy Manual. GitHub Gist: instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

This museum houses an imposing skeleton army comprised of creatures great and small.

Comparative anatomy is a study of the differences and similarities in the anatomy of two species and is related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny.

This one-semester text is designed for an upper-level majors course. Vertebrates features a unique emphasis on function and evolution of vertebrates

1880s. Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Comparative Anatomy Lab Activity to use with your Life Science Students. This covers NGSS Standards MS-LS4-1, MS-LS4-2, MS-LS4-3.

Here's a wonderful chart showing our anatomical / physiological / taxonomical classification as frugivores.. It's a comparative anatomy cha...

Functional Anatomy of the Vertebrates: An Evolutionary Perspective, by Liem et al. (2001), is by some distance my favorite comparative vertebrate anatomy text. When I was a n00b at Berkeley, Marvalee Wake assigned it to me as preparatory reading for my qualifying exams. The best textbooks, like Knut Schmidt-Nielsen's Animal Physiology (which deserves a post or…

The Biodiversity Heritage Library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.

Looking for an engaging distance learning science unit on evolution and comparative anatomy for middle school?students?

The facial musculature is a remarkable anatomical complex involved in vital activities of fishes, such as food capture and gill ventilation. The evolution of the facial muscles is largely unknown in most major fish lineages, such as the Actinopterygii. This megadiverse group includes all ray-finned fishes and comprises approximately half of the living vertebrate species. The Polypteriformes, Acipenseriformes, Lepisosteiformes, Amiiformes, Elopiformes, and Hiodontiformes occupy basal positions in the actinopterygian phylogeny and a comparative study of their facial musculature is crucial for understanding the cranial evolution of bony fishes (Osteichthyes) as a whole. The facial musculature of basal actinopterygians is revised, redescribed, and analyzed under an evolutionary perspective. We identified twenty main muscle components ontogenetically and evolutionarily derived from three primordial muscles. Homologies of these components are clarified and serve as basis for the proposition of a standardized and unifying myological terminology for all ray-finned fishes. The evolutionary changes in the facial musculature are optimized on the osteichthyan tree and several new synapomorphies are identified for its largest clades, including the Actinopterygii, Neopterygii, and Teleostei. Myological data alone ambiguously support the monophyly of the Holostei. A newly identified specialization constitutes the first unequivocal morphological synapomorphy for the Elopiformes. The myological survey additionally allowed a reinterpretation of the homologies of ossifications in the upper jaw of acipenseriforms. The facial musculature proved to be extremely informative for the higher-level phylogeny of bony fishes. These muscles have undergone remarkable changes during the early radiation of ray-finned fishes, with significant implications for the knowledge of the musculoskeletal evolution of both derived actinopterygians and lobe-finned fishes (Sarcopterygii).

Eclectic historic science and art images from rare books and prints

Ancestral gnathostome skull anatomy, showing seven gill arches (premandibular arch not included here) surrounding the pharynx (green tube). The mandibular arch (green) modified into jaws, whereas hyoid arch (red) yet unmodified.

Tetrapod skull anatomy, showing modified mandibular arch (green), hyoid arch (red - forming columella auris) and branchial arches (orange - also forming the laryngeal cartilages at the base of the trachea)

Photo © Joanna Ebenstein, from The Secret Museum Exhibition, Observatory, 2010. Image may not be reproduced in printed form without express written permission. An exhibition exploring the poetics of hidden, untouched and curious collections from around the world in photographs and artifacts, by Joanna Ebenstein, co-founder of Observatory and creator of Morbid Anatomy. Of, or relating to, the Morbid Anatomy Blog.

Imaginefx how-to-draw-and-paint-anatomy-2010- - Download as a PDF or view online for free