The Basis of Race

On page 212, Coyne briefly discusses races as "populations of a species that are both geographically seperated and differ genetically in one or more traits". If this is true, what led to the evolution of difference races that we see today around the world ? How has sexual selection also driven the evolution of races? If races merely represent species living in different areas of the globe, should the characterisitics of different races be varied? Connect to natural seleciton and selective advantage in your response.

The Evolution of Birds

From page 39 to 47, Jerry Coyne talks about the evolution of birds from animals that live on land to animals that slowly adapted to the birds we know today. The evolution of birds shows the slow process of evolution at work to create a new species of organisms.

Question: How do the multiple "transition animals" from land animal to flightless bird show the adaptive process of evolution? What other adaptions besides wings do the birds evolve over time and how were they adpative? Provide examples of transition animals that exist today.