Christopher Cusson

Course: Introduction to Evolution, BIOL-107
Professor: Dr. Lena Garrison
Assignment Title: What Causes and Changes Evolution?

Assignment Details

My video signature assignment discusses the topic of how evolution is relevant today by explaining processes that cause and affect it over time. After a brief explanation on evolution, I mentioned three different concepts that affect and change evolution and provide examples that support my topic. Each of the three concepts show how evolution changes species in the past, present, and future. I also discuss why evolution is a continuous process with examples of viruses and how they constantly change in order to survive, and how it’s host must change to defend itself. Finally, I explain how evolution fits into the scientific field and process to show viewers how we can apply what we learn about evolution through science to promote more understanding and action.

Application

Not only during this project, but throughout most of the class, I found myself thinking about my recent trip to Latin America. Much of it involved nature, especially during my time in the Galapagos. One of my goals for a while has been to experience other parts of the world, with nature being a big component of that.

All of those animals and naturalization is normal to the people who live there. My friends from the Galapagos at first found it funny when I asked if the iguanas were dangerous, because one had tried to spit on me. But they were born around them, and I wasn’t. The broader your knowledge base and experiences are in evolution, the more of an understanding you have on how it applies globally.

Results/Conclusions

All the pieces of evolution I discussed, that I believe are some of the most important, all work together to create and progress evolution. Evolution cannot be complete without all of these pieces working together and allowing for changes to occur.

After gathering the information for this assignment, I can’t help but think about evolution, and especially now the experiences of Darwin, when I think about my own experiences abroad. I hope to apply some of that knowledge to what I see in the future, and even notice something specific and be able to tie that in with any aspect or concept of evolution.

Challenges and Successes

At times it was hard to put everything I wanted to talk about in just one video, and to choose only three concepts and three reasons for its relevancy today. At first, I always struggle to formulate my ideas, which seem random, into an organized way of writing or speaking them. There are often more things I want to add or ideas I want to expand upon, but for an assignment like this where the idea is to give a brief explanation, you need to be confident in your ideas and what you would like to say to piece it all together while making it organized and easy form people to understand. When learning about new things and reflecting on what you learned, or how much you’ve learned, you test yourself when you create a way of explaining it to show or display to others.