The Classification & Evolution of Caminalcules
The Classification & Evolution of Caminalcules
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发表时间：
2000
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通讯作者：
R. P. Gendron
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作者：
R. P. Gendron
本书的读者了解在生物学入门课程中教授进化论的重要性和困难。困难的出现，部分原因是进化过程是缓慢的，通常无法观察到，即使是在一整年的过程中。解决这个问题的一种方法是使用模拟（Stebbins & Brockenbrough 1975; Tashiro 1984;艾伦et al. 1987; Thelen 1988; Hammersmith & Mertens 1990; Welch 1993; Nolan & Ostrovsky 1996; Dickinson 1998; Lach & Loverude 1998）。另一种方法是通过构建系统发育树来教授进化概念（Vogel & Ewel 1972; McComas & Alters 1994; Bilardello & Valdes 1998）。我为我们的普通生物学项目开发了一个后一类实验室。这个实验室的想法来自Vogel和Ewel（1972）写的一个练习，学生们在练习中开发了紧固件（钉子，螺钉和螺栓）的分类。然而，这里描述的实验室使用的是有化石记录的“有机体”，即卡米尼卡尔。微生物（图1）是由已故的约瑟夫·H. Camin（索卡尔1983）。根据索卡尔（1983）的说法，卡明从一个原始祖先开始，根据公认的进化变化规则逐渐修改形式，创造了他的生物体。卡明的目的是开发一种已知的遗传学（对于真实的生物来说通常是无法获得的），可以用来批判性地评估不同的分类技术，如表型和分支分析。为了向大学和高中学生教授进化论，Caminalcules提供了几个重要的优势（McComas & Alters 1994）。首先，由于骆驼是人工生物，学生们对它们应该如何分类或它们之间的关系没有先入为主的想法。这意味着学生在构建系统发育树或分类时必须专注于原则而不是先验知识。第二，与紧固件等日常物品不同，卡米纳卡尔有一个“真实的”进化历史，
READERS of this publication understand the importance, and difficulty, of teaching evolution in an introductory biology course. The difficulty arises, in part, because evolutionary processes are slow and generally cannot be observed, even over the course of an entire year. One way to circumvent this problem is by using simulations (Stebbins & Brockenbrough 1975; Tashiro 1984; Allen et al. 1987; Thelen 1988; Hammersmith & Mertens 1990; Welch 1993; Nolan & Ostrovsky 1996; Dickinson 1998; Lach & Loverude 1998). Another approach is to teach evolutionary concepts by constructing phylogenetic trees (Vogel & Ewel 1972; McComas & Alters 1994; Bilardello & Valdes 1998). I have developed a lab in the latter category for our General Biology program. The idea for this lab came from an exercise written by Vogel and Ewel (1972) in which students developed a classification of fasteners (nails, screws and bolts). The lab described here, however, uses ‘‘organisms’’ with a fossil record, the Caminalcules. Caminalcules (Figure 1) are imaginary organisms invented by the late Joseph H. Camin (Sokal 1983). According to Sokal (1983), Camin created his organisms by starting with a primitive ancestor and gradually modifying the forms according to accepted rules of evolutionary change. Camin’s intent was to develop a known phylogeny (something that is generally unobtainable for real organisms) that could be used to critically evaluate different taxonomic techniques such as phenetic and cladistic analysis. For the purpose of teaching evolution to college and high school students, the Caminalcules offer several important advantages (McComas & Alters 1994). First, because Caminalcules are artificial organisms, students have no preconceived ideas about how they should be classified or how they are related. This means that students have to concentrate on principles rather than prior knowledge when constructing a phylogenetic tree or classification. Second, unlike everyday objects such as fasteners, the Caminalcules have a ‘‘real’’ evolutionary history, complete