Lewis & Clark Expedition (1803-1806)● Lewis = scientist collecting specimen● Clark = military colonel protect against Indians● 30-40 men on trip also picked up a Native woman● went on expedition from east to west to stake claim for Americans before French● found “paradise” of food: buffalo, birds, they could shoot and easily hunt b/c there were so many● now: less than 2% of land in Nebraska that’s wild. there are talks of opening up a pathway for migration b/c populations declining.The World Without Us by Alan Weismann● talks about cost of Human Population Increase, Bird Mortalities Increase● what would happen if we were gone?● ex: Chernobyl - Bison, wolves, forest, have returned.Tree of Life● Dale Kiefer: “we are the twig of a branch on the tree of life.”● tree of life created based off of fossils - which is not a very good method● better method - can look at DNA and the more different it is, the more distant in time/evolution.Phylogenetic Tree● shows we all came from same genetic composition● some species branch off● some die off● some experience static selection = no changes● some exp variable selection = change w/in species, evolve in response to environments● process of speciation = eventually become so different, diff species won’t be able to breed w/ each other.DNA● ** The basis of Life is the successful copy of code from generation to generation● The sequence of nucleic acids is the key to the information content.● ex: there is no info in alphabet letters, but letters combined make words, which can make sentences, paragraphs, books, etc.● Life cycle = genetic information is passed on “Gene view of evolution”● Gene with info > translates > makes Gene product > develops phenotype expression > makes a “Survival machine” (vehicle by which genes can best pass on info to next generation) > tested/competes with others > Environmental resources + pressures determine whether genes will be passed on > make Gene precursors > then replication > back to Gene with info.● Languages are formed by isolation and some form of random events.Mammals1. Endothermic = we regulate our own temperaturea. probably our key to central nervous system. brain working, etc.2. Sweat glands = to help regulate3. Mammary glands = milk from Mamma. to support long time infants4. Fat-secreting = to stay warm.5. Heterodont Teeth = b/c omnivores, so can chew/do different things● Humans are in family of Primates○ plantigrade limbs = can rotate, move almost any direction.○ our feet are best used for walking forward.○ phalanges = delicate bones/flexible fingers○ chimpanzee & humans = closest relatives, 99% same○ 6 million yrs ago we had common ancestor● Human Genome Project ○ expected to find 100,000 genes, but found only 30,000. this reveals they’re regulated (turned on/off at times) to create complexity.○ maintain childhood until very late, learning from elders. capacity of learning maintained when