In this tutorial, we will learn about the complexities of defining and studying life as well as how life changes via natural selection. Through natural selection and evolution, the diversity of life has increased tremendously since life first began approximately 3.5 billion years ago. We will look at the processes of natural selection and evolution of life on a broad scale by looking at biological diversity in the context of a changing planet.
As you will learn, Earth's environment and life forms have changed dramatically in the 4.5 billion years since the earth was formed. We will also learn about the use of radiometric dating. It is an example of a technology we can use to determine the ages of fossils and other artifacts that allow us to tell the amazing story of life on earth.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to...