This is the Evogeneao tree of life chart, depicting that all life forms on the “blue marble” are related genetically. Evo is short for evolution and geneao is short for geneology. Based on the theory of evolution, the species to right evolved to the species on the left. Fish started their evolutionary branch during the Cambrian Explosion about 444 million years ago. www.evogeneao.com/
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“The Blue Marble is an image of planet Earth taken on December 7, 1972, by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft at a distance of about 29,000 kilometers (18,000 miles) from the surface. It is one of the most reproduced images in human history.” [Wiki] We see our planet filled with life like no other planet that we know about. All life on earth are similar in that they contain genetic base pairs of A-T(U) and G-C, Adenine – Thymine(Uracil) and Guanine-Cytosine. The theory of evolution says our life started from small bacteria type life forms and evolved to more complex forms over millions of years.
One thing that stop children from doing experiments is an economic barrier. Another is getting to a store to buy the materials. This project can be done for $14 dollars and a trip to the Pet Store and Dollar Store, attainable by most young scientists.
Why a Betta fish aquarium? It is the cheapest and most manageable first aquarium for a students . Bettas have a unique organ called the labyrinth that allows them to breathe air outside of the water. Thus, they are more tolerant to poor water conditions while a student is learning to care for the fish. There is also the famous goldfish that are cheaper and can be entertaining. However, the goldfish have only gills and if the water gets dirty they die. Three advantages of a Betta are their beauty, ruggedness, and they are happy alone.
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