So Many Evolution Articles So Little Time

After a week break from the blog, I had tons of ideas about what we could write about this week.  Initially, we were going to discuss the "Drunken Monkey Hypothesis."

Drunken Monkeys: http://www.livescience.com/44787-drunken-monkeys-explain-alcoholism.html

Then, while reading the Drunken Monkey article, I got side-tracked by hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds: http://www.calacademy.org/sciencetoday/hummingbird-evolution/5515004/

Then, I found this cool article on why zebras have stripes.

Zebras: http://www.calacademy.org/sciencetoday/why-zebras-have-stripes/5514895/

You pick.  Read an article and summarize what you have read.  Then relate it to what we have been talking about in class.   Maybe you have read another evolution article that you like better.  I can't wait to read it.   If you find another evolution article that interests you more, please send me the link, so I can approve it.

Lamarck

Here are some images to help you visualize Lamarck's Theory of Acquired Characteristics:

Giraffes with long necks?  Why is that?

Neck rings for longer necks?

Your Eyes Are the Window To Your Soul

As we wrap up our unit on genetics, I can't help but think about how many problems that I have given you that have to do with eye color.  Eye color is more complex than just brown eyes or blue eyes.

Check out this cool site that will help you predict the eye color of your future children:

http://genetics.thetech.org/online-exhibits/what-color-eyes-will-your-children-have

Your eyes are truly "tiny spheres of wonder."  National Geographic posted this video about how your eyes can be used to detect warning signs of a series of health issues:

Because you have a huge, two-day test this week, I am going to make the blog post fairly easy.  You can respond about how cool the eyes are or you can simply tell me your favorite genetics problem from the unit.

Outbreak: 2014 Ebola

Have you ever seen the movie "Outbreak"?  What about the more recent movie "Contagion"?  Both of these movies gave me bad dreams for weeks.  Hollywood is excellent at introducing the terrifying world of infectious diseases.

On March 30, 2014, the local Northwest Herald reported that in Conakry, Guinea in West Africa there is a documented outbreak of the Ebola virus.  What is the Ebola virus?  Why is this such a big deal?  Previous outbreaks of Ebola were all contained to remote rural villages, while Conakry is an urban city of more than 2 million people with an international airport.  Should American citizens be worried about the spread of Ebola beyond the borders of Africa?

So I did some more research.  This week I would like you to also do some more research into this outbreak of Ebola. What are the symptoms of the virus?  How many people survive?  So far with this outbreak how many people have died?  Are they all in one country?  What measures have been taken to prevent this disease from spreading beyond the borders of Guinea?  Provide examples of former outbreaks of Ebola.  Which former outbreak was the worse?  Should we be worried?  Answer the previous questions in a scholarly response.  Be sure to include your own opinion.  Below are some links to articles that might help you.  If you find another article that has good information, please share it in your response.

Ebola spread to Guinea capital (Northwest Herald)

Outbreak of Ebola  (Center of Disease Control)

6 Things to Know About the Latest Ebola Outbreak (TIME)

Ebola Virus Disease (World Health Organization)

Why is Guinea's Ebola Outbreak so Unusual? (NPR)