Talk:Evolution/Outline2

Observable aspects

of the natural world that imply shared ancestry and descent with modification (fossils is only one of about ten or so things, a few others of which I've listed above. Don't emphasize fossils -- that is only one record, and it is one of the weakest records because it is piecemeal and incomplete. There are plenty of things we can observe *TODAY AND NOW* that imply shared ancestry and descent. Focus on those.)

Natural selection

The step by step, self evident mechanism of natural selection (this section would also describe variation, and fitness)

Population genetics/dynamics

would include gene flow, migration, and drift

Special cases of selection

would include sexual selection, kin selection, and adaptation

Molecular evolution

would include more detailed information on mutation and chromosomal/genome evolution (e.g. gene and genome duplications, a *huge* component of eukaryote evolution), HGT, and the like

phylogenetics

("tree-thinking"), and how this field are used and applied to all fields of comparative biology (this is the "evolution is the central organizing principle" section)

Biogeography

integrated history of landmasses and taxonomic groups

Coevolution

(why are angiosperms and insects so diverse? What's an evolutionary arms race? Parasites/herbivores/hosts/mutualisms/pollinators, etc.) A short coevolution section is sorely missing from the article.

Evo-Devo

(evo devo is a very prominent theme now for eukaryote evolution) I can help write this section. A HOX genes blurb would be great, even though some people think it's too specific or jargony, it is a wonderful and fascinating story in Evolution, and really gets to core themes like origin of novelty, evolvability, homology, etc.)

Early origins

of life on Earth (including early chemical evolution of earth and the RNA world... endosymbiosis, etc.)

"The big epic story"

a synopsis/rundown of the diversification of major lineages of life (3 domains, then basic Eukaryote diversification, major adaptive radiations and extinction events, etc.)

Common misconceptions

(yes I think the article would be well served by this... this is where you define the words theory and fact, and talk about adaptations and exaptations, and ideas of generalism vs. punc. eq., and ideas of contingency vs. optimizing "improvement", etc.

History of Evolutionary thought

talk about Malthus, Darwin/Wallace, Lamarck, and the Modern Synthesis. BTW, does this article currently mention Lamarck? That is a gigantic topic and a very important one that MUST be included (the fact that acquired traits are not inherited)

Social controversies

(keep this BRIEF, SHORT AND SWEET, and link out of this page). Focus on legal cases involving schools.