BIOLOGY 1040

This post is dedicated to the class of Biology 1040: Environmental Studies (30893/EE1) NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, 2008.

Professor Jose Luis Jimenez

IN THIS SITE THE CLASS WILL POST THEIR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER WITH THE GOAL TO EDUCATE ALL THE READERS THAT VISIT THIS SITE ABOUT ISSUES RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES.

http://oceanawarenessgroupproject.blogspot.com/

http://guidetolivinggreen.blogspot.com/

http://howtobgreen.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/evergladeseducation

http://www.myblognatura.blogspot.com

http://www.acosam.blogspot.com

http://www.biol1040.blogspot.com

http://environmentalstudies-clayjohn.blogspot.com

http://www.sabbyr.blogspot.com

http://www.thedailytrim.blogspot.com

http://www.monahakansson.blogspot.com

http://www.mjvieth.blogspot.com

http://www.itisnt2late.blogspot.com

http://www.westcart.blogspot.com

http://www.kay-improvinglife.blogspot.com

http://www.michelleyanez.blogspot.com

http://www.traeannt.blogspot.com

http://www.mw-goinggreen.blogspot.com

http://www.skyline2008-bionews.blogspot.com

http://www.gogreenasap.blogspot.com

http://www.gordonenvirostudy.blogspot.com

http://www.jessica-environmentalstudies-jessica.blogspot.com

http://www.LeeShazier.blogspot.com

http://www.aronenvironmentalstudies.blogspot.com

http://pecosworld.blogspot.com/

http://mcarty.blogspot.com/

http://crissphoinix.blogspot.com

http://yvonnejackson-yvonne.blogspot.com/

http://stephany-environmentalstudies.blogspot.com/

http://environmentalstudies-clayjohn.blogspot.com/

http://bajrakenvirostudies.blogspot.com/

CURRICULUM VITAE J. Luis Jimenez

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

International ecologist, artist and filmmaker with experience and training in film, television, curriculum development, writing and producing multimedia resources in areas of adult and children education; environmental education; Storytelling; creative writing; entertainment; food safety; and agriculture (in both, English and Spanish languages).

EDUCATION

�� Doctoral Candidate in Comparative Studies Florida Atlantic University, FL. 2004-Present

�� M.A. Film and Video The American University, Washington D.C. May 1995

�� Licenciature in Communications Universidad Central de Venezuela, 1989 (5 year program)

COMPUTER SKILLS

Adobe PageMaker, Adobe PhotoShop, WordPerfect, Word, Simple-Text, ClarisWorks, PowerPoint, Avid, Adobe Audition, Internet Communications Skills in Macintosh and PC platforms

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

�� Adjunct Professor March 2003- present

Nova South Eastern University. Farquhar Center for Undergraduate Studies. Geography of Ecotourism (32762 GEOG 3000), Biology (1040)

�� Blogger www.neoselva.blogspot.com October 2007-present

A website dedicated to environmental issues and art

�� Teaching Assistant/Broadcast Journalism September 2004-2008

Florida Atlantic University, School of Communications

�� Research Assistant September 2003-Sept. 2004

Florida Atlantic University, Center for environmental Studies, Riverwoods Field Laboratory

�� Director and Co-owner April 1997-November 2002 Neoselva Zoological Conservancy Inc. A 31-acre ranch, with more than 500 exotic animals dedicated to provide Animal- Assisted Therapy, environmental education and arts education to disadvantaged children. In conjunction to the children���s program, the ranch promoted a successful breeding program for rare and endangered animals.

�� Assistant In Pesticide Education/Multimedia Production January 2001-August 2002 University of Florida/IFAS, Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition

- Develop multimedia productions and curricula for educational purposes

- Contact extension faculty and educators in counties around Florida to provide curricula

�� Curriculum Designer/Project Coordinator, Welfare-to-Work. March 1999-January 2001 University of Florida/IFAS, Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences

- Develop educational curricula (Food Safety at the Tip of Your Fingers)

- Contact extension faculty and educators in counties to solicit interest in the program

- Conduct train-the-trainer programs

- Work with IFAS Wages Director to develop evaluation methods

- Coordinate the overall performance of educational programs offered by county faculty

�� Multimedia Producer and Project Coordinator October 1997-March 1999 University of Florida/IFAS Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences

- Curriculum development and training for the Food Handler Training Program

- Responsible for producing/coordinating multimedia educational resources & promotional Materials for the Food Handler Training Program offered by Cooperative Extension Service state wide, and for sale publications

- Establishing contacts with the media, and organizing satellite broadcasts

�� Translator & Narrator for agricultural publications and videos October 1997-April 2002

University of Florida/IFAS Communications and Media Services

�� Film Editor and Timer October 1995-March 1997 Color-Lab Motion Pictures Inc. Rockville, Maryland

- Preparing, cutting, editing and synchronizing sound for motion picture���s film

- Timing and Color Correcting motion pictures film

MULTIMEDIA ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS

�� ���The Ale House Food Safety Program & Direct Hand Contact Plan��� video. June 2000

�� ���Food Safety at the Tip of Your Fingers��� Training video and curriculum. July 2001

�� ���Tales of a Shaman��� A collection of original environmental short stories. 1984-1997

�� ���Musical ���Tales of a Shaman��� (Author & Director) Written for the Mater Amoris Montessori School, in Ashton, Maryland, for a cast of 70 children. May 1997

�� ���Mitu Ararauna��� 20 minute, 16mm film. (The journey of a Shaman struggling to save the Tropical Rain Forest) Screened ���FILM FINALS FESTIVAL���, Biograph Theatre, Washington D.C. April 29 & 30,1995

�� ���Warrior of the Darkness��� 3 min. 16mm film about the interaction between an autistic boy and his mother through a native legend. ���9TH ANNUAL IMAGE AWARDS LUNCHEON��� March 1995 L.A. California.

�� ���The Flamingo��� 5 min. video about the biology of the flamingoes. Series ���RESENA��� Foundation for the Development of Visual Arts Aired in Venezolana de Television/Channel 8, March 4, 1990

�� ���Bills, Legs and Feathers��� 5 min. video about the adaptations of birds to their environment. Series ���RESENA���, Foundation for the Development of Visual Arts Aired in VTV/Channel 8. February 5, 1990

�� ���When a Species Dies��� 30-min. video for conservation of birds. Funded by Wildlife Conservation International/New York Zoological Society. Aired: VTV/Channel 5. 6/2/89 & 9/5/89

�� ���Arte Vivo��� 7 videos (endangered fauna in Venezuela). VTV/Channel 5, January-March 1989

TEACHING AND CONSULTANT EXPERIENCE

�� Assistant Journalist for IUCN-US, World Conservation Union for the IV Congress on National Parks, Venezuela, February 1992. Washington D.C. August-December 1991

- Established a permanent system of communication and distribution of information

�� Consultant in Eco-Tourism and Wildlife for Lost World Adventures Agency. 1991-1993

- Organization of educational ecological tours

- Established relations with Venezuelan Non-Governmental Organizations

�� Trilingual Eco-Tourism Leader and Instructor in Venezuela March 1985-1993

- Developed educational ecological expeditions for international travel agencies

�� Represented BIO-Tour/GBS C.A. TRAVEL MART LATIN-AMERICA, COSTA RICA 1990

�� Consultant for BIO-Tour/GBS C.A. December 1988- June 1999

- Feasibility analysis for implementing Eco-tourism programs in Venezuela

�� Instructor ���INTRODUCTION TO BIRD WATCHING��� Audubon Society of Vzla. 1988-1989

�� Teacher Assistant, course ���BIOLOGY OF BIRDS���. Universidad Simon Bolivar. 1985-1988

�� Consultant for FUNDACION TERRAMAR S.C. September 1988

- Training on identification and census of birds on La Blanquilla Island

- Study of the status of the Yellow-Shoulder Parrot (Amazona barbadensis).

�� Consultant for INSTITUTE OF NATURAL RESOURCES/USB. August 1988

- Trained personnel and collected ornithological data on the environmental impact of potential development on the delta of the Piritu River, Venezuela

PUBLICATIONS

�� ���The Legend of the Red Siskin���

- Bulletin of the Audubon society, December 1985

- Bulletin of the Venezuelan Ornithological Federation. February 1986

�� ���The Environmental Education Gets Established in the Continent��� Photographer. Author: Marco A. Encalada, Organization for American States, Washington D.C. 1993

�� ���Education & Environment in Andean Countries: Educational Strategies��� Photographer. Author: Beatrice Edwards, Organization for American States, Washington D.C. 1995

�� ��� Behavior and Biology of the Hawk-Headed Parrot in Southern Venezuela���. Stuart Strahl, Philip Desen, Jose-Luis Jimenez. The Condor Journal, U.S. September 1990

SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS ATTENDED

�� Agricultural Communicators in Education/ACE 2001 Conference. Washington D.C.

�� EATT, Symposium on Food Security and Nutritional Education in Florida. Speaker. 2000

�� Ready, Work, Grow; A National Workforce Conference. Baltimore. April 2000

�� CYFAR 2000, Children, Youth and Families at Risk. Speaker, N.C. March 2000

�� Jackson Hole International Wildlife Film Festival. Wyoming. September 1995

�� First Workshop on Environmental Protection and Leadership in Eco-Tourism. Ministry of Defense, Army Forces Co-op of Venezuela May 1991

�� First Workshop on the Biology of Conservation. Wildlife Conservation International/New York Zoological Society, Venezuela June 1990

�� Audubon Ornithological Workshop in Maine. Audubon Ecology Workshop in Maine. 1989

MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES

�� Florida Food Manager certification, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, since 1997

�� Member of the Foreign Press Center, Washington D.C. since 1991

�� Member of the National School of Journalists of Venezuela, since 1989

�� Member of the Audubon Society of Venezuela, since 1985

�� American Pheasant and Waterfowl Association

�� International Waterfowl Association

VOLUNTEER WORK

�� Shands Hospital. Recreational Therapy for children Gainesville, Florida 2001-2002

�� Radio Fe y Alegria. Taught elementary education to disadvantage adults to prepare them to join the workforce. Venezuela. 1981-1983

�� Hospital San Juan de Dios. Worked with physical disabled children. Venezuela 1977-1981

LANGUAGES

Spanish (Fluent) English (Fluent), Italian (Speaking and Reading), Portuguese (Speaking and Reading)

HONORS

�� OAS (Organization of American States) Graduate���s Full Scholarship Washington D.C. 1992

�� Wild Wings/Underhill Foundation and Dorr Scholarship. Audubon workshops��� in Maine 1989

�� Wildlife Conservation International/New York Zoological Society. Grand for the production of the ecological documentary ���When a Species Die���, Venezuela 1987

SURVIVAL.COM/30 BRAINS

BIOLOGY 1040 This post is dedicated to the class of Biology 1040: Environmental Studies (30893/EE1) NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, 2008.
Professor Jose Luis Jimenez IN THIS SITE THE CLASS WILL POST THEIR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER WITH THE GOAL TO EDUCATE ALL THE READERS THAT VISIT THIS SITE ABOUT ISSUES RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES.

- http://juansgallo.blogspot.com/

- http://tmoultrie.blogspot.com/

- http://bretsternblog.blogspot.com/

- http://myblog-conservation.blogspot.com/

- http://nuke-environmentalstudies.blogspot.com/

- http://biosphere-kph.blogspot.com/

- http://yulissa-bio1040.blogspot.com/

- http://wifamomstu.blogspot.com/

- http://jhontello.blogspot.com/

- http://moreknowledge-by-jp.blogspot.com/

- http://environsci-apjt.blogspot.com/

- http://jtsingh.blogspot.com/

- http://environmentalstudies.blogspot.com/

- http://fernjeon-blog-greeny.blogspot.com/

- http://marshallnyman.blogspot.com/

- http://aaltagra2687.blogspot.com/

- http://omaramador.blogspot.com/

- http://psychscience.blogspot.com/

- http://missrainezky.blogspot.com/

- http://narace-environmentalstudies.blogspot.com/

- http://carterkid1.blogspot.com/

- http://nina-environmentalstudies.blogspot.com

- http://oscar03.blogspot.com/

- http://nicolewhitmor.blogspot.com

- http://helpnow911.blogspot.com

- http://bpestana.blogspot.com

Natacha Revelus

April 21, 2008

Bio. 1040

Darwin���s Theory of Evolution:

Turtles & Tortoises

When you think of the phrases: battle of the fittest or only the strongest survive, does evolution come to mind? Well, for me I always think about Darwin and his Theory of Evolution. Darwin���s research on the Galapagos Islands was a major scientific break-through. It helped shaped a lot of ideas and hypothesis about evolution of mankind and animals alike. Although the theory of evolution was not new, Darwin developed the more modern version of the theory. He along with Alfred Russel Wallace proposed the principle of natural selection (Darwin, 2008). Eventually, after conducting all his testes, Darwin published his finding in, The Origin of the Species by Natural Selection.

Darwin���s foundation for his works is the process or theory of Natural Selection. Natural selection according to Darwin is the fact that animals that are better suited or that are more adaptable to their environment have a better chance of survival and ability to breed. If for example a land tortoise has a longer neck than the other and can feed off of the higher plants, that tortoise has more of a chance to outlive the other and breed with the female tortoises to pass on the favorable characteristics to their offspring.

Darwin made very distinctive discoveries about the tortoises and finches of the Galapagos. ���A tortoise of finch on one island was not quite like a tortoise or finch on another island. By looking at the shell of a tortoise of the beak of a finch you could tell which island it had come from (Darwin, 2008).

The Galapagos tortoise most closely resembled the South American tortoises; isolated on these remote islands, these tortoises has evolved distinctive forms (Johnson, 1998-2008). ���Of course, because of adaptation to localized habitats, island forms are not identical to those on the nearby continents. The turtles have evolved different shell shapes, for example; those living in moist habitats have dome-shaped shells while others living in dry places have low, saddle-backed shells with the front of the shell bent up to expose the head and neck��� (Johnson, 1998-2008).

This example is relevant to the exercise that we conducted in class. The 8 turtles and tortoises that we introduced to us in class share some of the same characteristics as the ones studied by Darwin. For example, turtles number 1, 4, and 5 are box turtles who all eat plants and insects, with a hinge in the under belly of their shells and although they are called turtles and are supposed to be in water they can also live on land. These shells of these turtles distinguish their genders. Colorful shells belong to the males whereas the plain shells belong to the females. I believe that this adaptive nature of the box turtle allows it to travel and be able to thrive in other environments outside of its natural habitat if Texas.

The Russian tortoise of course is a land animal. It���s a vegetarian. These tortoises have a distinctive shell that���s usually a ruddy brown or black, fading to yellow between the scutes. The male in this species has a long tail that is tucked to the side and females have a short tail. However the females grow slightly larger than the males. Upon observing this animal we noticed that the snout is somewhat beak-shaped and it has very long claws which can be used for digging. According to Wikipedia, they are avid burrowers and can dig large burrows that might be two meters (several feet) long (Wikipedia, 2008). This tortoise was also observed to be agile and fast-paced.

The Red-foot tortoise is a native of South America. It is named from the red or orange scales on its limbs and also on its head and tail. They can live in a variety of habitats including grasslands and but prefer humid forested areas (Wikipedia, 2008). Being primarily a forest dweller, they have evolved a high domed narrow width carapace to facilitate getting between narrow openings of trees and vegetation in the rain forest (Wikipedia, 2008). Males in this species have a concave shaped shell and a much longer pointed tail which makes it easy for them to mate, the females, on the other hand, have a flat shaped shell and a stubby tail. In the case of evolution, red-foot tortoises are very sensitive to environmental changes. When first introduced to a new environment they will go for long periods of time without eating. It is not until they feel comfortable in their new environment, that they will start eating again. We observed that they have a short snout and that is good for eating most vegetables and fruits, especially dark green leafy vegetables (Wikipedia, 2008).

Our colorful friend the Central American Ornate Wood Turtle is another one that is adaptive enough to live both in water and on land. They like to live shallow waters but if in captivity can also live on damped sand and cypress mulch, sheets of bark and piles of hay or leaves which adds secure hiding places for it (Animal-World, 1998-2008). There is quite a variation of color along this species. Those from southern Nicaragua are bland compared to those from northern Costa Rica which are brightly colored. Some of them are covered with swirls of orange and yellow with different degrees of black ocelli (eyespots) on the shell, just like the one we observed in class. This animal had short claws and tail, which we assumed that it was a female also because it had the triangular shaped shell. The shell also has a hinge for when the turtle retreats into its shell. Our turtle had a long neck which is useful in the wild because it can reach up for food and is very agile. Those, ornate wood turtles, kept in captivity then released into the wild wont be able to adapt or survive due to their inability to cope with extreme weather changes and many surely fall prey quickly to the wary predators they may encounter (Animal-World, 1998-2008).

The yellow-foot tortoise is the larger cousin of the red-foot tortoise. This name is derived from its several yellow head scales and its carapace is black with a small, distinct yellow area around the areola on each shell scale (Wikipedia, 2008). The adult males are bigger than the females however they are also much lighter than the females. Like the one we had in class, mature yellow-foots have distinctive incurving on the side of their shells, giving them a well-defined ���waist��� (Wikipedia, 2008). In addition, the plastron is extremely concave in males which make it easy for him to mate with the female who has a very flat plastron and short stubby tail. These species are found in the drier forest areas, grasslands, and the savanna, or the rainforest belts adjoining more open habitats (Wikipedia, 2008). Because of their considerably short neck and snout, the yellow foot���s diet consist of grasses, fallen fruits, plants, and any slow moving animals like snails, worms, and others that they are able to capture (Wikipedia, 2008); as you���ve probably have already guessed these creatures do not move fats at all compared to the other tortoises that we observed. This species has a very interesting evolutionary trait; it is interesting to note than in almost every tortoise species where male combat occurs, the males are always larger than the females. This is in comparison to aquatic species, where the males are usually smaller than the females and do not engage in male to male combat. It is thought that species with male combat evolved larger males because larger males have a better chance of winning a bout and mating with a female, thus passing on their larger size to their offspring. Species with smaller males evolved because smaller males are more mobile and can mate with a large number of females, thus passing on their genes (Wikipedia, 2008). Now that���s survival for ya!

The last turtle observed was the only true full water turtle: the mudd turtle from North America. This little creature prefers to live in shallow, slow moving bodies of water with muddy bottoms. Also they have a dome shaped carapace (Wikipedia, 2008). Even though they are small they can live up to 50 years old! It���s known for it���s dull shell and has a black under belly which helps it to camoflague well in seaweed, protecting it against predators. Also, this little guy is carnivorious, and will consume almost anything they can catch including small fish, worms, insects, grubs, crustaceans, tadpoles, small berries and even carrion. In this species the females are generally larger than the males but the males have a much longer tail, furthermore they can be black, brown, green or yellowish in color (Wikipedia, 2008).

Each of the turtles observed had their own specific traits and characteristics for survival and battle of the fittest. A lot of them have overcome the natural selection process because they are so adaptive, hence the turtles and tortoises that can live in both water and on land. Shell size, snout size, length of neck and mobility all play a major role in determinig which species can and will outlive the other and has the strongest genes/characteristics to pass on to the next generation.

Works Cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/charlesdarwin.html

http://txtwriter.com/Backgrounders/Evolution/EVpage15.html

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/turtles/OrnateWoodTurtle.php

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

FINAL ESSAY
Darwin and Natural Selection (Evolution)Most educated people in Europe and the Americas during the 19th century had their first full exposure to the concept of evolution through the writings of Charles Darwin . Clearly, he did not invent the idea. That happened long before he was born. However, he carried out the necessary research to conclusively document that evolution has occurred and then made the idea acceptable for scientists and the general public. This was not easy since the idea of evolution had been strongly associated with radical scientific and political views coming out of post-revolutionary France . These ideas were widely considered to be a threat to the established social and political order.It was during the beginning of the voyage that Darwin read the early books of Charles Lyell and became convinced by his proof that uniformitarianism provided the correct understanding of the earth's geological history. This intellectual preparation along with his research on the voyage were critical in leading Darwin to accept evolution. Especially important to the development of this understanding was his 5 weeks long visit to the Gal��pagos Islands in the Eastern Pacific Ocean . It was there that he began to comprehend what causes plants and animals to evolve, but he apparently did not clearly formulate his views on this until 1837.The Gal��pagos Islands have species found in no other part of the world, though similar ones exist on the west coast of South America . Darwin was struck by the fact that the birds were slightly different from one island to another. He realized that the key to why this difference existed was connected with the fact that the various species live in different kinds of environmentsDarwin identified 13 species of finches in the Gal��pagos Islands . This was puzzling since he knew of only one species of this bird on the mainland of South America , nearly 600 miles to the east, where they had all presumably originated. He observed that the Gal��pagos species differed from each other in beak size and shape. He also noted that the beak varieties were associated with diets based on different foods. He concluded that when the original South American finches reached the islands, they dispersed to different environments where they had to adapt to different conditions. Over many generations, they changed anatomically in ways that allowed them to get enough food and survive to reproduce.Today we use the term adaptive radiation to refer to this sort of branching evolution in which different populations of a species become reproductively isolated from each other by adapting to different ecological niches and eventually become separate species.Darwin came to understand that any population consists of individuals that are all slightly different from one another. Those individuals having a variation that gives them an advantage in staying alive long enough to successfully reproduce are the ones that pass on their traits more frequently to the next generation. Subsequently, their traits become more common and the population evolves. Darwin called this "descent with modification."The Gal��pagos finches provide an excellent example of this process. Among the birds that ended up in arid environments, the ones with beaks better suited for eating cactus got more food. As a result, they were in better condition to mate. Similarly, those with beak shapes that were better suited to getting nectar from flowers or eating hard seeds in other environments were at an advantage there. In a very real sense, nature selected the best adapted varieties to survive and to reproduce. This process has come to be known as natural selection.Darwin did not believe that the environment was producing the variation within the finch populations. He correctly thought that the variation already existed and that nature just selected for the most suitable beak shape and against less useful onesBoth Darwin and Wallace failed to understand an important aspect of natural selection. They realized that plant and animal populations are composed of individuals that vary from each other in physical form. They also understood that nature selects from the existing varieties those traits that are most suited to their environment. If natural selection were the only process occurring, each generation should have less variation until all members of a population are essentially identical, or clones of each other. That does not happen. Each new generation has new variations. Darwin was aware of this fact, but he did not understand what caused the variation. The first person to begin to grasp why this happens was an obscure Central European monk named Gregor Mendel . Through plant breeding experiments carried out between 1856 and 1863, he discovered that there is a recombination of parental traits in offspring. We will let Julian Huxley sum up Darwin 's place in the history of science:" Darwin 's work ... put the world of life into the domain of natural law. It was no longer necessary or possible to imagine that every kind of animal or plant had been specially created, nor that the beautiful and ingenious devices by which they get their food or escape their enemies have been thought out by some supernatural power, or that there is any conscious purpose behind the evolutionary process. If the idea of natural selection holds good, then animals and plants and man himself have become what they are by natural causes, as blind and automatic as those which go to mould the shape of a mountain, or make the earth and the other planets move in ellipses round the sun. The blind struggle for existence, the blind process of heredity, automatically result in the selection of the best adapted types, and a steady evolution of the stock in the direction of progress...Darwin 's work has enabled us to see the position of man and of our present civilization in a truer light. Man is not a finished product incapable of further progress. He has a long history behind him, and it is a history not of a fall, but of an ascent. And he has the possibility of further progressive evolution before him. Further, in the light of evolution we learn to be more patient. The few thousand years of recorded history are nothing compared to the million years during which man has been on earth, and the thousand million years of life's progress. And we can afford to be patient when the astronomers assure us of at least another thousand million years ahead of us in which to carry evolution onwards to new heights."NOTE: The phrase "survival of the fittest" was apparently first used in 1851 by the influential British philosopher Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) as a central tenet of what later became known as "Social Darwinism." He misapplied Darwin 's idea of natural selection to justify European domination and colonization of much of the rest of the world. Social Darwinism was also widely used to defend the unequal distribution of wealth and power in Europe and North America at the time. Poor and politically powerless people were thought to have been failures in the natural competition for survival. Subsequently, helping them was seen as a waste of time and counter to nature. From this perspective, rich and powerful people did not need to feel ashamed of their advantages because their success was proof that they were the most fit in this competition. Despite misgivings by Alfred Wallace and other naturalists, Charles Darwin began to use "survival of the fittest" as a synonym for "natural selection" in the 5th edition of Origin of Species, which was published in 1869.http://anthro.palomar.edu/evolve/evolve_2.htm (Darwin and Natural Selection)http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Science/Darwin.htm (The Scientist: Charles Darwin , Biography)History and Evolution of TurtlesReptiles became part of the evolutionary scene approximately 300 million years ago at the end of the Paleozoic Era. Whereas, the first turtle fossil wasn't discovered until about 80 million years later during the Triassic period, which was the beginning of the Age of Reptiles. The first fossil was that of Proganochelys, a freshwater, much larger version of modern day snapping turtles. There is quite a mystery surrounding turtle evolution; it is thought that it happened in a relatively short time due to minimal fossil evidence leading up to the find of Proganochelys. It is thought that a minute change in genetic composition could lead to the creation of a carapace and plastron, thus a small genetic change could have lead to a huge evolutionary advantage. (Spotilla, 2004) During the Mesozoic Era turtles went back and forth between land and sea many times, and it wasn't until about 120 million years ago during the Cretaceous period that modern sea turtles evolved. Thus, flippers and other sorts of evolutionary advantages didn't result until that time.At the end of the Mesozoic there was a huge mass extinction, possibly the most well-known of all mass extinctions due to the loss of the dinosaurs. After the mass extinction approximately 66 million years ago, the Age of Reptiles gave way to the Age of Mammals. The reptiles that faired the best during and after the extinction were perhaps the sea going turtles. Four families of sea turtles survived, Toxochelyidae, Protostegidae, Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae. The former two families have since become extinct, Toxochelyidae during the Eocene epoch and Protostegidae during the Oligocene epoch. There are currently seven species of sea turtles swimming in the oceans, six of which are in the family Cheloniidae, the other is the solitary member of the Dermochelyidae family. This paper will compare four of the seven sea turtle species, leatherbacks, loggerheads, greens and hawksbills. All are from the Cheloniidae family with the exception of the leatherback which is from Dermochelyidae.References1. Broward County Florida-Biological Resources Division. (n.d.)Sea turtle conservation program. Retrieved February 9, 2005 from http://www.co.broward.fl.us/bri00600.htm 2. Caribbean Conservation Corporation and Sea Turtle Survival League. (2005) Species Fact Sheets. Retreived June 5, 2005 from http://www.cccturtle.org/contents.html3. Jones, A. (2004) Sea turtles: old viruses and new tricks. Current Biology, 14, R842-R843. 4. Lewison, R., Crowder, L., Read, A., & Freeman, S. (2004) Understanding impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine megafauna. TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution, 19 (11), 598-604. 5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Office of Protected Resources. (n.d.) Marine Turtles. Retrieved February 2, 2005 from http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles
Posted by Tmoultrie

Malika Cox

EVOLUTION AND THE TURTLE/TORTOISE
(applying Darwin's theory)
"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment." (Charles Darwin)
Darwin's Theory of Evolution had never been of any real interest to me personally. Because of my religious beliefs I would quickly resist any talk about evolution, big bang theory, etc. However, the above quote by Darwin strongly caught my attention. As I began to read about it there are views that I do not agree with but others that I do. This post however excludes any personal views that I may have and strictly applies the theory of Evolution as it pertains to turtles and tortoises. A total of eight (8) turtles were observed and researched: the Box Turtle, Russian Tortoise, Red Foot Tortoise, Central America Wood Turtle, the Yellow Foot Tortoise, and the Mud Turtle. During observation there were noticeable differences physically. Differences in color, neck length, mouth (rounded/pointed, sharp/not sharp), texture of shell, tail length, legs (some thick, some not so), webbed feet and non webbed feet, curved and straight claws. So what is the reason for all of the variations of characteristics? This is the essence of what the Darwin theory is about.

For starters we must understand Darwin and this very popular theory of his. The premise of Darwin's theory of Evolution is that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor. Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) "descent with modification". That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival -- a process known as "natural selection." These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism (not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature). According to the great biologist Ernst Mayr, these observations have been amply demonstrated in biology, and even fossils demonstrate the veracity of these observations. In lamens terms, biology and fossils prove this idea to be true. The main idea in the theory is Natural Selection. To simplify, Natural selection (a slow process)is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. With that stated let's see how this applies to our little friends.
I must admit, I didn't think that this assignment would be of any real interest being that I've never before been interested in knowing anything about turtles. Having to begin this quest while being under the weather did not make it any better either. However, the more information I gathered, the more interesting it became. Specifically, the turtle with the most revealing information and the one that really started my "juices flowing" was the Russian Tortoise.
In-class observation:
color: light green w/ black spots (with no hinge for closure)-- this is possibly to aid in camouflaging against predators. The reason I say this is because the color is a little bland and this tortoise is found in dry open landscapes, sand and clay deserts with sparse grasses and brushes, rocky deserts also and hillsides. These types of areas are not generally colorful. So had the tortoise been colorful it would stand out tremendously!
long straight claws and non-webbed feet: no web needed as this is a land turtle and the claws are straight because they burrow in sandy or loamy burrows. Meaning the soil is not stiff which means no need for the curved claws used for real digging.

long neck: during courtship he male approached female and repeatedly circles her. Then he stops, faces her head on and extends his neck and rapidly jerks up and down. If he had a short neck he wouldn't be able to extend and practice this ritual.
diet: the Russian Turtle is active but slows down in June and July (summer), leaving the burrow only dawn or dusk. The reason is that the summer temperatures that exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit are problematic for them. So they "chill" during the summer. What does this have to do with what they eat? Well, what a coincidence it is that at summer's end, they feed on dried grasses and twigs! What else is available after hot summers in the deserts? Surprisingly enough in habitat, they feed on vegetation, flowers, twigs and fruits. Now that's survival for you! Oh, what about water? Well during rainy seasons, they drink water from puddles that form but while they are chilling in the summer, they rely on metabolic water (hold their urine until the rainy season).
The YELLOW FOOT TORTOISE
size: female is larger than male. The reason for this is that the larger the female, the more eggs it produces.
mouth: rounded, not sharp. This is possibly because of it's diet. This tortoise feeds on grasses, fallen fruit, plants, mushrooms, snails, worms, and other slow moving animals. A sharp mouth is not needed for this type of diet, nothing to rip or tear really.
feet: feet are non-webbed because it dwells on land.

THE MUD TURTLE:
claws: claws are curved. This characteristic is essential since the mud turtle hibernates in the mud which of course is more stiff than sand or softer soil.
feet: feet are webbed as these turtles do swim
mouth: pointed/sharp. This more than likely is due to the type of diet that this turtle indulges in. Wonderful items on the menu are: insects, tadpoles, and fish.
THE BOX TURTLE:
Now this turtle has of course oen or more of the characteristics of the others. We all know that they will have either webbed or non-webbed feet, curved or straight claws, colorful or non-colorful or bland shell, etc. The main characteristic I would like to note about this turtle is one that none of the others possess and that is the fact that the shell has a "hinge". The hinge allows the turtle to retract its legs and close the front and hind part of ots shell. Why is this so? As I looked through different sources I tried to find information that would elude to why this is so. The only item that stood out to me is the the purpose of this is to "protect against predators". Now this is sort of common sense, but why wasn't this piece of information present in the description of all the others. I think I may know why. One itme that this mentioned about this turtle that is not in y research of all the others is that this is the SLOWEST REPRODUCING species in the world. So while the others can hide under brushes and in the mud and under trees, this species is so precious that it must take extra procautions and not just depend on outer elements to aid in prolonging its existence but needed a true protector from its own body.

Conducting these observations and research was very enlightening. For me it shd some light on more than just turtles and tortoises. It taught me a little more about life and how this idea of the "survival of the fittest" applies to us as humans truly! If a turtle can adapt and persevere and be tenacious as they are, surely we can too. I leave you with a culminating quote from the great scientist Ernst Mayr:
Darwin imagined it might be possible that all life is descended from an original species from ancient times. DNA evidence supports this idea.
Probably all organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one primordial life form. There is grandeur in this view of life that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.

SAVE THE TURTLES! CUIDEMOS LAS TORTUGAS!

THIS VISUAL STORY WAS WAS CREATED THANKS TO THE HELP OF TURTLES AND TORTOISES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD...

THEY WERE RESCUED BY ME FROM THE ABUSIVE PET TRADE...

SOME OF THEM WERE RESCUED OUT OF THE TRASH; AS THE PET TRADERS THOUGHT THEY WERE DEAD...

NOW THEY LIVE A HAPPY LIVE IN MY GARDEN.

ESTA HISTORIA VISUAL FUE CREADA GRACIAS A LA AYUDA DE TORTUGAS Y GALAPAGOS DE TODO EL MUNDO...

ESTOS ANIMALITOS FUERON RESCATADOS POR MI PARA ALEJARLOS DE LOS TRATOS ABUSIVOS QUE RECIBEN EN EL MERCADO DE LAS MASCOTAS...

ALGUNOS DE ELLOS LOS SAQUE FUERA DE BASUREROS EN LOS CUALES FUERON TIRADOS POR PENSAR QUE YA HABIAN MUERTO...

AHORA VIVEN UNA VIDA FELIZ EN MI JARDIN.

HOSTED BY YAGUI; THE FOX