Explain the entire classification of the organism beginning with domain and ending with species.

Research
Paper Evidence of Evolution:
Individual & Group Research Papers
Individual Paper
Due: Check the course
calendar and the research paper submission link in Moodle
Submission: The Word document should be uploaded to TurnItIn
using the research paper submission link in Moodle.
Format: APA format (see Purdue OWL website for proper formatting of cover page, section
headings, and citations), double spaced, 12 pt. font, 1” margins, Times New
Roman, no direct quotations (practice paraphrasing). No set page
length – as long as it takes to cover all details for each paper section. At
least 5 scholarly citations.
Preface:
Evolution leaves many
observable signs in all organisms. We will be examining natural selection and
five of the many lines of evidence in support of evolution:
The fossil record
Biogeography
Comparative anatomy
Comparative embryology
Molecular biology
Your task is to choose
a species on which you would like to do research and report information
on natural selection and each of the five lines of evolutionary
evidence found in that species. You may choose any species listed
below. Within the next week, email me your first and second species
choices. Topics are first come, first served, and no more than 4
students may research each species
Species
available (I have given the
common names as it is your job to research the species classification):
Giraffe
Americanalligator
Greatwhiteshark
Bottlenosedolphin
Gray wolf
Paper Sections (each
section – except cover page – should be at least 1 well-
formed paragraph and should have a section heading):
Cover Page – APA format. Be sure to include a running head, an
informative title, your name, campus location, date, instructor name, and
class section and period.
Introduction – Introduce the species you are reporting on. What is it?
Explain the entire classification of the organism beginning with domain
and ending with species. Where can this species be found? How is the
species used by humans (i.e. – pets, food, logging industry, not used,
etc.)? End with a thesis statement building up to the following
sections on your evidence of evolution found within this species. This
thesis statement should be something that you can argue/support with the
body of the paper. Usually this involves choosing a specific adaptation
and following it through the series of evolutionary evidence. Include
citations.
Fossil Record – What did the fossil record tell us in terms of
ancestry? What did your species descend from? You must include dates and fossil age comparisons. Find
examples of specific fossils, give their ages, and calculate differences
in age. Include citations.
Biogeography – Where was your species or species’ ancestors originally
found? Where can your species be found now and why? Include citations.
Comparative
Anatomy – What other
species share(s) similar structure(s) as your species? Remember to use
homologous structures, not analogous structures. Does your species have
any vestigial structures? Include citations.
Comparative
Embryology – How
is your species similar to other species while as an embryo? Include
citations.
Molecular Biology – How does your species compare to other similar species
at the genetic level? Which species is it more similar/less similar to,
genetically speaking? Include citations.
Natural Selection – This is not optional. You must write
about natural selection. Does
your species overproduce offspring? Is there a different reproductive
strategy used by the species that makes them successful? How do
individuals from your species compete among themselves for resources
(food, shelter, mates, etc.)? What kinds of individual variations occur?
Include citations.
Conclusion – Treat this as a “back of the book cover” summary of
your research paper. Challenge yourself to summarize the most important
evidence of evolution in about 250 words.
10.Literature
Cited – You all know my policy on plagiarism (see course
syllabus). Don’t do it or there will be consequences. This applies not only to
plagiarism of another student’s work but also of a reference material. You must
appropriately cite, in APA format, all material used. Be sure to use your own
words in your paper. This will ensure that you understand the material to the
best degree possible. Remember to refer to the Purdue OWL website to see examples of how to create
proper in-text and reference list citations in APA format. The “Library
Databases” link in the “TSTC Helpful Resources” box on the side
or bottom of the Moodle course will be of help in finding scholarly sources for
your paper. This section should be about embryonic development, NOT how the
organism reproduces – it is not the same thing. Sources should always be listed
alphabetically by author’s last name, and there must always be a source listed
at the end of the paper that matches up with an in-text citation in the body of
the paper. There should never be an in-text citation that does not match up to
a source listed at the end, or a source at the end that does not match up with
an in-text citation. Also, the information (usually the author’s last name)
that appears in the in-text citation should be the first information in the
citation for that source at the end of the paper. The in-text citation and the
citation at the end should be easy to associate with each other.
Acceptable scholarly sources include: hardcopy books, eBooks
(including your eText), scientific articles, scientific magazines (National
Geographic, Scientific American, Popular Science, Discover Magazine, etc.).

Use the library’s online
database to help you search for proper material. The Academic Search
Premier is a large database full of research articles. There is also an
eBook database for electronic textbooks
Unacceptable
sources – Wikipedia,
Ask.com, other non-science websites, really websites in general. I will
deduct points for not using proper sources.
You must use in-text
citations. It is not
enough to list your literature cited at the end of the paper, you must
also make notations in the body of your paper to show where each of your
facts came from. Failure to properly cite within the body is a form
of plagiarism.

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