1.1 walking whales

earliest whales

had legs

Hans Thewissen

paleontologist, 1993, found a 47 year old fossil of a whale with no legs in Pakistan

whales ancestors

100 million years ago, didnt swim in the sea. small, furry, land animals

whales evolution

millions of years transformation, nostrils to blowholes, legs to sea creatures, fluffy to not.

evolution on earth time

3.5 billion years

theodosisus Dobzhansky

20th century biologist. 1971, “Nothing in life makes sense except in the light of evolution” (Dobzhansky 1973).

tangled bank

book about evolution

Charles Darwin

formulated the theory of evolution in the mid 1800s, crude light microscope.

ways to study evolution

analyzing DNA, probing fossils, programming computers to connect species

is evolution limited

evolution should not be limited to only biologists because evolution underlies many societal issues. it can be used to analyze and help current issues

studying evolution creates what benefit?

we can study past mass extinctions to compare it to our current biodiversity crisis threats today.

studying resistance of bacteria

evolution has produced some of the most resistant bacteria, and scientists can analyze this resistance it in a lab.

food supply

the evolution of pests and pathogens poses a threat to our food supply.

answers what questions

how did we get here? what does it mean to be human?

what is evolution

change over time, descent with modification