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Related Concept Videos

The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.
What is Evolutionary History?02:35

What is Evolutionary History?

Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.Phylogenetic trees illustrate the evolutionary relationships among these organisms. Scientists infer organisms’ common ancestry by evaluating shared morphological and genetic characteristics. Together, the fossil...
The Fossil Record02:56

The Fossil Record

The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
Phylogeny01:23

Phylogeny

Phylogeny is concerned with the evolutionary diversification of organisms or groups of organisms. A group of organisms with a name is called a taxon (singular). Taxa (plural) can span different levels of the evolutionary hierarchy. For instance, the group containing all birds is a taxon (comprising the class Aves), and the group of all species of daisies (the genus Bellis) is a taxon. Phylogenies can likewise include just one genus (i.e., depict species relationships) or span an entire...
Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

Speciation can proceed at markedly different rates, and evolutionary biologists commonly describe these differences through the models of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Both patterns explain how new species arise, but they differ in the tempo and continuity of evolutionary change. In both cases, evolutionary change arises from heritable variation within populations, with natural selection often shaping traits that improve survival and reproduction under specific environmental conditions.
Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...

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Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
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Published on: January 19, 2018

Descent with modification and the archaeological record.

Stephen Shennan1

  • 1UCL Institute of Archaeology and AHRC Centre for the Evolution of Cultural Diversity, London, UK. s.shennan@ucl.ac.uk

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|March 2, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Archaeologists face an inverse problem inferring past cultural transmission processes from material remains. This review examines progress in inferring microscale cultural evolution processes from archaeological patterns, considering demographic influences.

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Area of Science:

  • Archaeology
  • Cultural Evolution
  • Social Sciences

Background:

  • Recent advances in understanding cultural transmission rely on mathematical and simulation models.
  • Real-world processes are studied via experiment and observation.
  • Archaeology uniquely studies past cultural patterns through material residues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review progress in inferring microscale cultural transmission processes from archaeological data.
  • To highlight the role of demography in cultural evolution.
  • To identify challenges in inferring past behaviors from artifacts.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of archaeological record as residues of past behaviors.
  • Mathematical modeling and simulation of cultural transmission processes.
  • Comparison with inferential methods in population genetics.

Main Results:

  • Significant progress has been made in inferring cultural transmission processes from patterns.
  • Demographic factors play a crucial role in cultural evolution.
  • The complexity of cultural transmission presents unique inferential challenges.

Conclusions:

  • Inferring past cultural processes from archaeological evidence is a complex inverse problem.
  • Understanding microscale processes is vital for reconstructing cultural evolution.
  • Further research is needed to address the complexities of cultural transmission and demography.