Category Archives: 5. Evolution & Biodiversity

Topic 5 Evolution & Biodiversity

What is Evolution? – an 8m 53s video from Stated Clearly:

Some excellent interactive animations & tutorials on Variation & Evolution just click on Variation, Selection & Time at the bottom of this page (Learn.Genetics).

In Crash Course Biology #20 – Evolution: It’s a Thing, Hank gets real with us in a discussion of evolution – it’s a thing, not a debate.

Myths and misconceptions about evolution from TED-Ed.

Paul Andersen (from Bozeman High) explains Microevolution.

The Evolution of Life on Earth in 24 hrs – a 2m 19s animation from AsapSCIENCE:

5.1 Evidence for Evolution

IB Biology 5.1-5.2 Slides: Evolution & Natural Selection from Jacob Cedarbaum

Find a video lesson on this sub-topic at Dan Rott videos.

What is the Evidence for Evolution? An 11m video from Stated Clearly:

Proof of evolution that you can find on your body, a 4m video.

Paul Andersen (from Bozeman High) describes pieces of Evidence of Evolution that Charles Darwin used to support the idea of evolution and his process of natural selection (and here is a similar lesson: Evidence for Evolution).

A 2m 30s video on one example of intermediate fossils as evidence for evolution from Richard Dawkins:

5.2 Natural Selection

BioKnowledgy 5.2 natural selection from Chris Paine

What is Natural Selection? – a 9m 19s video from Stated Clearly:

Darwin’s Natural Selection – explained in a 4m 3s video:

Find a video lesson on this sub-topic at Dan Rott videos.

Fantastic animated tutorials from McGraw Hill Education – Mechanisms of Evolution (five of them) & a simulation of Genetic Drift.

An excellent narrated tutorial on Evolution – the big picture which includes evidence for evolution (from Sinauer Associates).

In Crash Course Biology #14 – Natural Selection, Hank guides us through the process of natural selection, the key mechanism of evolution. Hank’s brother helps him present The Evolutionary Epic (Big History#5).

Paul Andersen explains Natural SelectionMicroevolution and details Examples of Natural Selection.

5.3 Classification of Biodiversity

BioKnowledgy Presentation on 5.3 Classification of biodiversity from Chris Paine

IB Biology 5.3 Slides: Classification & Taxonomy from Jacob Cedarbaum

Find a video lesson on this sub-topic at Dan Rott videos.

Classification of Living Things (4m):

An animated tutorial from McGraw Hill Education on the Three Domains.

InThe Classification of Life, Paul Andersen explains the goal of classification as well as its history (you won’t be tested on this but it’s important) and in The Three Domains of Life he describes the three domains.

In Crash Course Biology #19 – Taxonomy: Life’s Filing System, Hank tells us the background story and explains the importance of the science of classifying living things. In #22 – Simple Animals: Sponges, Jellies & Octopuses, Hank introduces us to the “simplest” of the animals and in #23 – Complex Animals: Annelids & Arthropods, Hank continues our exploration of animal phyla with the more complexly organised annelida and arthropoda.

A quiz on Plant Classification (good luck!).

The importance of classification – woodlice names in the UK & elsewhere.

5.4 Cladistics

IB Biology 5.4 Slides: Cladistics from Jacob Cedarbaum

Find a video lesson on this sub-topic at Dan Rott videos.

Paul Andersen (from Bozeman High) discusses Phylogenetics and then shows you how to construct a Cladogram from a group of organisms using shared characteristics.

A fantastic animated tutorial from McGraw Hill Education on Phylogenetic trees.