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Vaninna Ortiz-Mori

Anthropology 1020

April 27, 2017

Signature Assignment Reflection

The signature topics of this course are the scientific method and evolution. The scientific

method is multiple techniques used to investigate phenomena, gaining new knowledge and or

making corrections to things you had already known. This method is mostly based on measurable

and empirical evidence, this procedure characterized natural science and consists in observation,

measurement, systematic observation and experiment, modification of a hypotheses and testing.

Experiments are the test of a hypotheses and the most important part of the scientific method.

Evolution, is the process where multiple different living organisms have developed and differed

from ancient forms during the history of the earth. This involves the fixity of species and natural

selection, 2 very important factors. Macroevolution is evolution on an above or at scale of the

level of species, in comparison with microevolution, which directs to less significant evolution

change of allele frequencies within a species. Macroevolution and microevolution share identical

processes on different time scales.

Of course, every biological anthropologist needs to have evidence to back up their theory.

Evidence found to support the theory that humans have biologically evolved are:

1. Discovering DNA, one of the most significant piece of evidence about the origin of

species is that Charles Darwin created his theory without having the exact knowledge

mechanism by which variation occurs. This theory would have physical evidence to

support it once Watson and Cricks discover DNA in the 1950s.

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2. Simulating Evolution, does not only demonstrate that natural selection is something

that works, but it also demonstrates that scientists can do their simulations at a faster

pace and observe changes over long timescales.

3. Natural selection, is the most critical mechanism of evolutionary change, it refers to

genetic change or changes in the frequencies of certain traits in population due to

differential reproductive success between individuals.

Now, lets talk about evidence of primates and macroevolution.

1. Macroevolution, involves evolutionary systematics, which is an approach to

classification in which presumed ancestors and descendants are traced in time by

analysis of homologous characters. In other words, it interprets relationships.

2. Primates, carry with them many evidence of evolution, this involves DNA, braincase

size, similar aspects of the face, similar ways of living, reproduction, etc. The only

difference between modern humans and primates to me is that we are just a more

advanced version of them.

Examples of hominin fossils.

1. Most likely the worlds most famous early human ancestor, she was a 3.2 million year

old ape with the name of Lucy, she was the first Australopithecus afarensis skeleton

found. Her remains were only 40% complete but were a clear example and definitely

a good piece of evidence of evolution and similarities between primates and modern

humans.
2. Fossils are probably in my opinion more helpful then anything to prove human

evolution. You can see probably a persons whole life in their bones, injuries, time

line, age, etc. By knowing all this you can compare it to older fossils and realize how

they can be so alike and so different at the same time, how we evolved, became

bipedal, etc.
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My own explanation of human evolution is probably not different to most of the peoples

points of view of evolution. The fact that we have so many ways to prove that evolution

is what happened like DNA, genes, being bipedal, having evidence of for example

Neanderthals and how similar they were to us and even used clothing and buried dead

people I think is more than enough to believe in evolution.

All this evidence to me supports the theory of evolution because not only there has

been matching DNA, genes and same locomotion to prove it but because there is also

many matching characteristics of all of us, if you think about it there is really not much a

difference between any of us the only difference would be language and culture.

Evidence demonstrates the use of the scientific method because when evidence is found a

hypotheses is made, after the hypotheses is made they test it which means they start the

experiment until they reach a conclusion which is a clear example of the steps of the

scientific method.

As you can see and as mentioned before, every theory involves evidence to support

it, I would say that the evidence in these cases are doing their job pretty good. The only

weaknesses I would believe could be presented in this evidence is maybe the fact that not

everyone is exactly aware of what it is people do when they find evidence leading them a

space to doubt the unknown.

My thoughts on human evolution and the scientific method is that it is pretty brilliant,

the scientific method is something I am sure many people use almost every day without

noticing it, it is applied to most parts of life and it is important to anything that involves

experimenting. Human evolution will always be something very interesting to me, the

fact that there is so much evidence to support it is probably what makes it to me more
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interesting, being able to rely on something that is supported with actual facts is

definitely a good thing.