BIOL 1111 Evolution Case Study Description and Rubric

Evolution Case Study

Evolution is defined as the process of development and diversification in a population over a period of time. Many of the developments and much of the diversification that we can see within any given population of animals can be attributed to many hundreds or thousands of years and generations experienced while evolving into what we see on the planet today. Most of these developments and diversifications are noticeable benefits, however occasionally, these changes seem pointless.

• facilitate your student learning objective for this assignment, form a group of no more (and no fewer) than two students and in a three to five page MLA-supported research paper, address the recorded evolutionary changes that have been delineated (or hypothesized) in any one given species of animal. These species may be prokaryotic or eukaryotic, unicellular or metazoic in nature. To support your work, you must include no fewer than five published research reference articles from peer-reviewed work (i.e., scientific journals), however, you can include as many articles, texts, or audio-visual publications as you like.
• your work, be sure to address the evolutionary changes that have occurred in your species and how these changes have contributed to the development and diversification of that species. Typically, in your research, you will find anecdotal ancestral documentation for a species as well as modern-day observations and recordings. Should your research lead you to traits or characteristics that do not have an apparent benefit to the development of your species, state why you think that your species may have developed these changes anyway.
• ensure that you are working on a unique species that has not been repeated multiple times in the class, consult with your instructor regarding your ideas before investing time in your work. This project should be started as early as possible to allow sufficient time to collect information and is worth one-hundred (100) points and fifteen percent (15%) of your total course grade. Points will be allocated according to the following rubric:

Evolution Case Study Rubric

Criteria	Point Value	Deductions Possible
Correct MLA Formatting	5 Points Total
Students have used standard MLA formatting, including citations and references.		1 Point for each deviation from MLA formatting will be taken for a maximum of up to 5 points total.
Spelling and Syntax	20 Points Total
Students must demonstrate correct spelling as well as post-secondary level syntax.		1 Point for each deviation from correct spelling and syntax use will be taken for a maximum of up to 20 points total.
Page Restrictions	30 Points Total
Students must design their work (excluding reference page) to fit into three to five pages. Standard business 8.5"*11", 12-pt font, double spaced.		10 Points per page will be deducted for not utilizing a minimum of three (full) standard pages (as detailed above/excluding reference page) for your report. I.E., an incomplete three page report would result in a 10 point reduction, while a two-page report would lose 20 points on this assignment, and a 1-page report would lose 30 points on this assignment.
Reference Restrictions	15 Points Total
Students are required to use no fewer than five published research reference articles from peer-reviewed work (i.e., scientific journals).		3 Points will be deducted for each missing research reference (for a maximum total of 15 points).
Subjective Assessment	30 Points Total
Students should be able to demonstrate adequate understanding (and documentation) of the evolutionary developments of their chosen species.		Subjective assessment of your work will be conducted. Primary considerations for subjective quality includes documentation of multiple aspects of evolutionary changes that have occurred in one specific species as provided not only in your cited references, but in your report as well.