How does urbanization affect nonhuman populations, and how can we minimize harmful effects? How does urbanization affect nonhuman populations, and how can we minimize harmful effects? This unit on natural selection and evolution of populations focuses on the phenomenon of increasing urbanization around the world and the impact of that change on nonhuman populations. Students investigate case studies that investigate fragmentation, poison, and proximity to humans as selection pressures that affect the relative fitness of individuals with particular anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits in a population. Through investigations with complex data sets, they figure out how genetic diversity in a population allows populations to adapt to changes encountered in urban environments.

OpenSciEd content is highly rated in EdReports and is aligned to NGSS standards.

Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Define biodiversity in terms of species diversity and abundance
Describe biodiversity as the equilibrium of naturally fluctuating rates of extinction and speciation
Identify historical causes of high extinction rates in Earth’s history

This 20-minute video lesson discusses how variation can be introduced into a species. [Biology playlist: Lesson 7 of 71].

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Investigate plant pollen dispersal methods through a forensic science investigation. In addition, students learn to communicate their investigation results to non-scientific audiences. [28:01]

Find information about diversity among genes, species, and ecosystems that helps answer questions about the importance of biodiversity and how we can save species from extinction.