Week 1 Discussion

Over the long period of time that life has existed on Earth, there have been a number of important or significant innovations including (but not limited to) endosymbiosis to create mitochondria and chloroplasts; multicellularity; adaptation to land by plants and animals; development of exoskeletons in arthropods, shells in molluscs, and notochords followed by vertebral columns in chordates and vertebrates; and bipedalism in the ancestry of humans. All of these had to come about by natural selection in response to changing environmental forces. After studying the textbook reading assignment, pick one of these significant innovations and describe:

1. How the innovation appears to have happened
2. What environmental challenges were met and overcome by this innovation, and
3. What opportunities were opened for the organism that made this innovation

You must include in your post an example of at least one species and demonstrate that you understand scientific nomenclature by writing the correct binomial of the species name, and showing its hierarchy of classification. The hierarchy is shown from Domain to species. Explain how you use the scientific name to locate the nearest relatives of your chosen species, and provide an example.

The discussion should be informed by the textbook assignment and about 600 words.

Submission Details:

• Post your response to the Discussion Areaby the due date assigned. Respond to at least two posts by the end of the week