Writing prompts – chapter 6. Write 200 words on one of the following five writing prompts (just select 1)
1. Describe the progression of ideas about the origin and evolution of life (Section 5-2): History.
Spontaneous generation until 1860.
Biogenesis from mid 19th (1800s) to mid 20th (1900s) centuries
Experiments to produce organic chemicals from 1950 (Miller and Urey) to Cyanosulfidic chemistry (2010)
Cyanosulfidic chemistry
Fossil record of algae and plants
2. Describe the evolution of algae and plant photosynthesis over time (Section 6-6 and 6-9): Natural Science.
3. There is disagreement about the timing of the origin of plants between the plant fossil record and the predictions of DNA molecular clocks. This is reviewed in the Section 6-9 of the CosMos web site. The pdf is not yet updated. Discuss whether you as a natural scientist would accept the evidence of molecular clocks or the fossil record: Perspective of a Natural Scientist.
4. Describe how scientists analyze the plant fossil record (videos at the beginning of Section 6-9 in CosMos website ): Science
5. Will we ever prove that life evolved naturally from chemicals? (various sections in chapters 5 and 6): Metaphysics.