07 Jul Research Paper
ResearchPaper Instructions
Evidence of Evolution:Individual & Group Research Papers
Individual PaperInstructions
Due: Check the coursecalendar and the research paper submission link in Moodle
Submission: The Word document should be uploaded to TurnItInusing the research paper submission link in Moodle.
Format: APA format (see website for proper formatting of cover page, sectionheadings, and citations), double spaced, 12 pt. font, 1 margins, Times NewRoman, no direct quotations (practice paraphrasing). No set pagelength as long as it takes to cover all details for each paper section. Atleast 5 scholarly citations.
Preface:
Evolution leaves manyobservable signs in all organisms. We will be examining natural selection andfive of the many lines of evidence in support of evolution:
- The fossil record
- Biogeography
- Comparative anatomy
- Comparative embryology
- Molecular biology
Your task is to choosea species on which you would like to do research and report informationon natural selection and each of the five lines of evolutionaryevidence found in that species. You may choose any species listedbelow. Within the next week, email me your first and second specieschoices. Topics are first come, first served, and no more than 4students may research each species
Speciesavailable (I have given thecommon names as it is your job to research the species classification):
- Giraffe
- Americanalligator
- Greatwhiteshark
- Bottlenosedolphin
- Gray wolf
Paper Sections (eachsection 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.LiteratureCited You all know my policy on plagiarism (see coursesyllabus). Dont do it or there will be consequences. This applies not only toplagiarism of another students work but also of a reference material. You mustappropriately cite, in APA format, all material used. Be sure to use your ownwords in your paper. This will ensure that you understand the material to thebest degree possible. Remember to refer to the website to see examples of how to createproper in-text and reference list citations in APA format. The “LibraryDatabases” link in the “TSTC Helpful Resources” box on the sideor bottom of the Moodle course will be of help in finding scholarly sources foryour paper. This section should be about embryonic development, NOT how theorganism reproduces it is not the same thing. Sources should always be listedalphabetically by authors last name, and there must always be a source listedat the end of the paper that matches up with an in-text citation in the body ofthe paper. There should never be an in-text citation that does not match up toa source listed at the end, or a source at the end that does not match up withan 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 thecitation for that source at the end of the paper. The in-text citation and thecitation 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 (NationalGeographic, Scientific American, Popular Science, Discover Magazine, etc.).
- Use the librarys 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.
