Part I: My Favorite Species

Choose one species that you find interesting.

Search the web for information about the evolution of your favorite species. Include an embedded picture of your chosen species, or a brief video.

Then answer at least three of the following questions about your species:

1. Which domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family and genus does your species belong to?

2. Which other species is your creature closely related to? Any surprises? Explain

3. What are some of the ancestors of your species? Any surprises? Explain

4. How closely related to humans is your species? What was the last common ancestor or what was the "lowest" organization level your species share with humans? (genus, family, phylum etc)

5. What are the different types of data and/or methods that scientists use to create phylogenetic trees and determine evolutionary relationships between species?

Part II: Natural Selection

In your own words explain how the process of natural selection may lead to evolution using a specific example. Include the following terms in your explanation: beneficial (or adaptive) trait, differential reproduction, selection pressure, evolution, population.

As always, include references to information sources used to prepare your response, including the sources of any images.

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