How Long Should My Academic Essay Be

How Long Should My Academic Essay Be When youre given an academic essay assignment, its easy to feel overwhelmedâ€"especially if English is your second language or you have limited experience with academic writing. Academic essays can range from a few paragraphs to book-length dissertations, so the scope of expectations varies widely based on the school youre attending, the class youre taking, the departmental expectations, and (most especially) the professor giving you the assignment.However, if youre new to academic essay writing and are stressing over the length it should be, keep in mind that in most situations, your questions will be answered by your professor or the admissions committee assigning you the essay in the first place. When an assignment is given, some professors are very specific on their expectations, including what they expect the word count to be.When an assignment is given, some professors are very specific on their expectations, including what they expect the word or page count to be. Photo by Bra ndi Redd on Unsplash.For most assignments, youll likely be given guidelines based on word count (for example, 1,000 to 1,200 words) or page count (3 to 5 pages, double-spaced). You might also be given guidelines on the citation format to use, how many sources you should have, and even the publication date range of those sources. Some professors like to be extremely specific on their expectations for each academic essay assignment, while others might be more lenient and less structured in their guidelines. And of course, these guidelines will vary based on the type of academic essay and its purpose.General guidelines for essay lengthMiddle schoolAcademic essay assignments typically start in middle school in the American education system and fall within the range of 300 to 800 words. In these grades, youll be learning the basic 5-paragraph essay structure, which includes an introduction, a thesis statement, the body, and a conclusion. In the typical 5-paragraph essay format, the first paragraph should be the introduction, the second through fourth paragraphs should be the body of the essay, and the fifth paragraph should be the conclusion. In very rare instances would your introduction or conclusion take up more than one paragraph for these types of essays.High schoolIn high school, youll still likely need to write a 5-paragraph essay, although some teachers (especially English and Language Arts) will start to require longer essays (3 to 5 pages). This is to prepare you for the rigor of academic writing that youll be fine-tuning in college. In these essays, you will still have the basic format of introduction, body and conclusion; however, youll expand the body to more thoroughly explore or explain a topic. The conclusion of your 3 to 5-page essay will likely still fall within one paragraph, although the introduction might be more than one, depending on the topic.University (Undergraduate level)Once you get admitted into an undergraduate program, the length of y our academic essay assignments will vary significantly, depending on the classes you take and the departments you take them in. Youll also encounter classes that require academic essays of varying length as the semester progresses, with a longer essay due as the final assignment for a greater percentage of the class grade. In most cases, these longer academic writing assignments will be structured in such a way in that parts of the essay assignment must be turned in at different times, with all sections being put together as a final paper.For example, in an advanced-level English class, your professor might assign multiple shorter essays of 5 to 7 pages (or 1,500 to 2,100 words) and one final essay that explores a topic in more depth at 8 to 10 pages (or 2,400 to 3,000 words). Another class, such as a core curriculum survey course, might require fewer essays or more journal prompt-type writing assignments.University (Graduate level)Much the same as the undergraduate level of college , graduate-level academic writing assignments will vary based on several factors, such as the professor, the course, the department, and the program of study. One university program might require extensive writing while another might be more lab-based or hands-on experience.Graduate level is also where youre likely to first encounter thesis and dissertation academic writing assignments, which can go up to 100,000 words or more. These types of assignments obviously require extensive planning, research, and writing time, but youll likely be given very specific word count and citation requirements when being assigned the paper to write.Graduate level writing is significantly more involved than the 5-paragraph essay format and contains elements such as sections related to a review of literature, background of the topic/theoretical framework, methodology of research, and your specific findings. These separate sections might have their own word count limits and requirements, with some req uiring significantly more time and writing than others. As with some undergraduate assignments, you might be asked to submit these academic writing assignments in stages or sections, including a proposal, a list of your sources, etc.Beyond word and page countEven if you stay within a certain word or page count that is required for an academic writing assignment, you could still receive a poor grade for not using that count wisely. For example, its possible to write a 3 to 5-paragraph paper that is disorganized and illogical, in the same sense that an 8-page essay might have the same faults.Here are some important guidelines to follow when writing an academic essay, regardless of the word count required:Always carefully outline before you begin writing. An outline will help you cover everything that should be covered and ensure that youve included all of the required parts of the essay (introduction, thesis statement, etc.)Never allow your academic essay writing style to appear rambl ing, off-topic, or full of filler words. While the topic youre writing about might be new to you, your professor will likely know it extensively and will be able to tell if youre writing just to fill space.Do your best to avoid hedging. Hedging is when you essentially dance around a topic with vague statements but never have an actual stance on it. In most forms of academic writing, youre expected to make a clear assumption or thesis statement and then back up your claim with solid research and/or data.Its important to avoid vague statements or ambiguity in your academic essay writing. Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.So, can I go over or under word count?Ultimately, it will always be in your best interest to stay within word count requirements given to you on assignments. Word count or page count limits are given to you for a reasonâ€"your professor knows exactly how in-depth you can explore a topic or topics given that word count restriction. If you find that you are significantly u nder word count when youve completed your writing assignment, its likely that you havent explored the topic to the depth expected of you by your instructor. A poor or failing grade might be the result, as it will be clear to your professor that you either didnt understand the topic or didnt take the time needed to research it correctly.Some professors will allow word count that is over suggested limits a lot more readily than word count that is under them. However, keep in mind that if you have gone significantly over word count in your academic essay assignment, its always a good idea to ask your teacher if this is acceptable. He or she might have such a heavy student and research load that they are simply unable to read hundreds of essays that are over the suggested word count limit, and might be forced to stop reading once youve reached it. This means that important parts of your writing will not be read and could affect your teachers grade choice for the assignments.This is also true for college admissions essay assignments. Admissions committees might be reading the essays of thousands of applicants and need those writers to stay within word count restrictions for the sake of time and logistics. Allowing one applicant to write extensively more could also put that applicant at an unfair advantage, so word count restrictions should always be followed. For a more in-depth look at what you should and shouldnt do on your college admissions essay, check out this article on writing a college admissions essay that stands out from the crowd.

Application Of A Master Of Public Health Campus - 1621 Words

ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET Electronic or manual submission UNIT HST6334 CODE TITLE NAME OF SONI Jinal FAMILY NAME FIRST NAME STUDENT ID NO. 10399984 NAME OF LECTURER Dr. Kim Clark DUE DATE Topic of assignment Group or tutorial (if applicable) Course Master of Public Health CAMPUS I certify that the attached assignment is my own work and that any material drawn from other sources has been acknowledged. This work has not previously been submitted for assessment in any other unit or course. Copyright in assignments remains my property. I grant permission to the University to make copies of assignments for assessment, review and/or record keeping purposes. I note that the University reserves the right to check my assignment for plagiarism. Should the reproduction of all or part of an assignment be required by the University for any purpose other than those mentioned above, appropriate authorisation will be sought from me on the relevant form. OFFICE USE ONLY If handing in an assignment in a paper or other physical form, sign here to indicate that you have read this form, filled it in completely and that you certify as above. Signature Date OR, if submitting this paper electronically as per instructions for the unit, place an ‘X’ in the box below to indicate that you have read this form and filled it in completely and that you certify as above. Please include this page in/with yourShow MoreRelatedMiss1353 Words   |  6 PagesMaster of Public Administration (MPA) About the MPA Program The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, accredited by the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA), is designed to prepare students for careers in public administration and policy work in diverse areas such as non-government organizations, industry associations, and, of course, the public service. 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Downtown Campus Downtown Walpole has many assets which include: a commuter rail station, several â€Å"town center† style blocks, and civic land uses, that could be redeveloped. 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Oedipus Blindness and Self Discovery Illustrated in...

From the very beginning of Oedipus, one can see that the main character of Oedipus is very sure about who he is and where he has come from. One of the most important motifs of the story is the idea of metaphorical blindness, and how Oedipus claims that everyone else around him is blind, and he is the only one that can see. However, what Oedipus soon finds out is that he has no idea who he is, and that all along he has been blind himself. Sophocles makes Oedipus suffer because of the fact that he actually has no idea who he is, and almost avoids figuring it out. It takes a defining moment for it to dawn on Oedipus that he is not who he thought he was. Oedipus’ blindness seems to have been his downfall, but the more prevalent question that†¦show more content†¦Although Oedipus is very confident in himself, the people around him do not do much to stop him from thinking such things. The priest says Now we pray you. You cannot equal the gods, your children know that, bending a your alter. But we do rate you first of men, (39) demonstrating that they also believe that Oedipus is great. Oedipus was able to make the people of Thebes believe this because he was the only one that was able to solve the riddle of the Sphinx and thus he is greater than any man, but no one can equal the gods, but if man could I’m sure that the people would have compared Oedipus to them. Because of Oedipus’ confidence within himself, he believes that his decisions will always be correct, and because of that he tends to make quick decisions that eventually come back to harm him. Once Oedipus finds out why Thebes is suffering, he quickly condemns whoever it is that killed the previous king, Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is†¦ †¦let that man drag out his life in agony, step by painful step— I curse myself as well†¦ if by any chance he proves to be an intimate of our house†¦ may the curse I just called down on him strike me! (280) so by his rash de cision to condemn the murder he has unknowingly cursed himself in two ways. As the story continues on, it is as if Oedipus life is unraveling to him and to the audience. Throughout the remainder of the story, bits and pieces of Oedipus life are revealed to him, in some cases byShow MoreRelatedOedipus The King : A Classical Tragedy1272 Words   |  6 PagesSophocles’ Oedipus the King is a classical tragedy that derives its meaning through the experiences of its tragic hero, Oedipus. Throughout the play, the eminent characteristic of Oedipus is his ignorance of the truth that inevitably leads to his downfall. This ignorance of truth is a characteristic found within the Aristotelian definition of a tragedy. Tragedy, as defined by Aristotle in his Poetics, are imitations of actions and are not narrative. This means that tragedies are often demonstrated

Week paper Free Essays

Also, studies suggest that sound and thorough logic is required when applying innovation to an ineffective business practices. These goals can be better achieved by taking advantage of the efficient communication abilities of logical spatial intelligence. Thus, multiple intelligence assessment provides unique insight to practical communication and leadership practices. We will write a custom essay sample on Week paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Introduction After completing the multiple intelligence assessment from the website literacy. Norms. Com, my top three learning styles were logic or math, nature, and spatial intelligence. Math or logic was my highest score, and I believe hat of my three best scores, math or logic is the most useful skill to communication and leadership. According to the website, the math or logic intelligence suggests that I focus on relationships between things and how things work. Additionally, critical thinking is a strength of math or logic intelligence. Some noted activities for math and logic thinkers that may be useful in leadership roles include organizing complex materials, and looking at things critically. An example of such logical critical thinking would be looking at an advertisement in terms of its functional parts. A logical way of joking at an advertisement may ask, â€Å"what are the parts of the advertisement and how do the parts work together to make the advertisement effective? † Discussion Spatial learners, according to literacy. Works. Com, excel at visual organization. This type of learning seems to have a synergy with logical learning. I feel that spatial thinking is a visual manifestation Of logical thinking. The website further explains some useful spatial skills as working with charts and graphs, color coding, and other forms of visual representation. This skill set jumps out to me as excellent tools for communication. Being able to logically process ideas and then display them in clear and organized visual displays is an excellent way to communicate ideas. The recent popularity of power point presentations which use computers to generate organized and aesthetically pleasing spatial displays in order to communicate ideas show the immense power of spatial communication and leadership. In fact, throughout my previous education I have been very successful producing effective communication with spatial displays. Whether using physical props for public speaking class or presenting power point displays of my clinical research, refer use of spatial thinking. Accounting for one’s own intelligence style as well as the intelligence style of subordinates is a useful strategy for effective leadership. Being a logical thinker has the advantage of being able to see how these various different learning styles fit together. When building teams, intelligence styles may be considered in two ways. In some situations it may be effective to build teams from similar types of people who understand each other and relate well together (Watson, 1993). In other times it may be beneficial to build a diverse team made Of many different intelligence types ho contribute a variety of different strengths and outlooks to a project. Either way, it is useful to know what are the strengths and weakness of the team members in order to devise a strategic grouping of working teams. Indeed, the research of Hopkins and Hopkins assert that a diverse workups provide such benefits as â€Å"increased profitability, learning, creativity, flexibility, organizational and individual growth, and the ability of a company to adjust rapidly and successfully to market changes†. Limitation means doing things in new and different ways which may be better than the old way of doing the same thing. When people with different learning types work together innovation can occur as each team member can communicate from a unique perspective. Rather than continuously repeating inefficient processes that seem natural to a particular intelligence type, a different i ntelligence type may be able to point out improvements to the process that had been hidden to the other group members from their own intelligence perspectives. Roach and Bed near present a very complex research article analyzing the logic of innovation in business. At the conclusion of their complex logical reasoning they deduced some key summarizations about the SE of logic in management. For one they suggest that when applying change to a business, managers should not only look for simple cause and effect relationships. Instead they should look for deeper logical relationships. In their paper they cite a case of the Jacksonville Sausage business in which a simple linear cause and effect scenario seemed to suggest from the worker’s point of view that managerial micro-management was leading to workers’ errors. While the same situation from the linear cause and effect view Of the managers looked as if workers’ errors was the cause of necessitated micromanagement. However, the authors suggest that simple linear logic was limiting the vision of the overall situation and disguising the fact that were individual outside factors to blame for both worker error and the micromanagement. The lesson to be learned was that a more powerful logic beyond simple linear cause and effect gave a richer understanding of the business and the required innovations to correct its problems. Such innovation is the advantage of a manager with logical ability. In a study of risk communication Via visual displays, Lipids and Holland discuss the advantages of spatial communication. The first advantage of spatial displays n communication is that they can reveal information that is difficult and cumbersome to communicate in other ways. For example line graphs excel and revealing trends while pie charts are unmatched at indicating proportions. Second, spatial displays quickly and easily communicate numerical information. And third, spatial displays are attention grabbers. Each of these advantages can be utilized by managers who make effective practice of spatial communication. Conclusion Each person is different in his or her abilities and intelligence types, but each uniqueness has something to contribute to effective leadership. Specifically, the intelligence attributes of logic and spatial reasoning are particularly effective at developing leadership communication skills. How to cite Week paper, Papers

Water Pollution and Wind Energy

Water pollution is a problem that has affected the world for a long time. It essentially entails contamination of the water bodies such as lakes, oceans, rivers and ground water just to mention but a few.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Water Pollution and Wind Energy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although some people may fail to understand the long-term effects of pollution, its short-term effects are easy to discern (Newton, 2008, p.102). Such effects include diseases or death of both human beings and animals. Despite this fact, human beings still pollute the water bodies, oblivious of the dangers that they are exposing themselves and animals to. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that some of the effects of pollution may take very long before they exhibit themselves. Aquatic life has been adversely affected by water pollution to the extent of extinction of some species. Chemical pollution of wate r is one of the leading causes of death of aquatic life. It normally makes water acidic, and also makes it toxic. The animals that do not die are left living in very harsh conditions (Hogan, 2010, p.1). Animals that consume these toxins may, in turn, be harvested for human consumption leading to diseases in human beings. Additionally, if water is polluted with chemicals, the amount of water available for human consumption reduces, and thus humans experience difficulties accessing safe drinking water. The water will also evaporate and make humans and animals inhale the chemical substances dissolved in it. This evaporation will also result in acidic rain which has the same effects as water pollution. It is thus evident that chemical pollution of water not only has negative effects on health, but it also substantially reduces the amount of water available for consumption by animals and human beings. There are a number of ways through which an individual could pollute water bodies. Some of these include; factory wastes, blood from slaughter houses, farm water with pesticides or herbicides, and all types of wastes disposed of to the water bodies. The aforementioned ways of polluting the water, makes it unable to sustain aquatic life as well as unfit for human consumption. It is therefore advisable that human beings avoid any actions or processes that could pollute water in order to live in a clean and safe environment. Wind Energy Wind energy is a form of renewable energy just like solar energy. The production of energy by the use of wind power is accomplished by the use of wind turbines. The blades of the turbines are meant to rotate by the wind thus causing electrical energy which serves as a power source (Richardson, 2006, p.2). It has been used as an alternative source of energy to substitute other energy sources such as fossils.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF L earn More Advantages There are numerous advantages of using wind energy, which include; It has negligible environmental effects. When compared to other sources of energy such as fossils which when burnt to generate electricity pollute the environment wind energy has no emissions hence safe to the environment (Perez, 2010, p.1). It is readily available as wind keeps blowing and is free thus making it cheap. The turbines occupy less space making it cheap since the size of land required is less compared to that required for hydropower. It is an easy way of generating electricity as no advanced technologies are required. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of wind energy is that the amount of energy it generates is limited compared to other energy sources. The turbines must be located in strategic places in order for them to generate significant amounts of energy. Last but not least, Wind energy is more appropriate in areas with a lot of wind, for instance in the rural areas. Refere nce List Hogan, M. (2010). Water Pollution. Retrieved from https://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Main_Page Newton, D. (2008). Chemistry of the Environment. Checkmark Books. pp.  102. Perez, D. (2010). Sources of Energy. Web. Richardson, N. (2006). Energy Sources. Web. This report on Water Pollution and Wind Energy was written and submitted by user Benjamin Booker to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Whats an Excellent SAT Score

What's an Excellent SAT Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT score is one of the most important parts of your college applicationsbecause it’s one of the only things that’s standardized. When all student applicants are taking the same exam, admissions officers can use it as a barometer to compare students that come from different backgrounds, educations, strengths, weaknesses, and intellectual abilities. If all students take the same exam, and all admissions officers look at those exam scores in the same way, then it should be easy to figure out what an excellent SAT score is, right? Not necessarily. Like most things, an excellent SAT score is all relative. In this post, I’ll talk about different types of â€Å"excellent† scores in relation to the entire US, your general peer group, your prospective colleges, and (maybe most importantly) yourself. A Note Before We Get Started: Percentiles When we discuss exam scores when compared to other groups - groups as big as the US student population or as small as your high school English class - we use percentiles. Percentiles are different from percentages. A percent scoretells you what portion of the exam you got correct, whereas a percentile score tells you how you did on the exam compared to everyone else who took it.For example, a percent score of 80% on an exam means that you got 80% of the questions correct. An 80th percentile score would mean that you scored better than 80% of the students who took thesame test. Percentile scores are more meaningful than percentages when we talk about SAT scores, because what’s important is how you score when compared to other students.To give another example, let's say you take a very difficult exam in a large lecture course and only score a 50%. You might be disappointed because you'd assume you scored poorly. If you learned that everyone else in the class scored lower than 50% on their exam, you'd know that you scored in the 99th percentile - that changes your perception of your performance, right? Same thing goes for SAT scores. Excellent SAT Scores for the General US Population Talk about a big comparison group. If you’re new to the SAT and are unsure what SAT scores actually mean, comparing your scores to those of the general population isthe best place to start. The SAT score range isn’t necessarily intuitive, like an exam scored out of 100 points. Seeing how you â€Å"rank† relative to all students is the best way to start understanding your own performance. As you probably know, the SAT is scored out of a total of 1600 points.The average composite SAT score is about 1000 points - around the 50th percentile. An "excellent" score relative to the general population will ultimately depend on your own definition of excellence. For the sake of this post, we'll say that an excellent score sits at about the 75th percentile. This means that if you score at or above the 75th percentile, your score is higher than at least 3/4 of all test-takers. So how do these (and other) percentiles translate into SAT scores? 25th percentile about 840 composite score 50th percentile about 1000 composite score 75th percentile about 1200composite score You can get more detailed information on SAT scores and percentiles here. Given this information, where do you think you would set your "excellence" cutoff? Excellent SAT Scores for Your Peer Group What matters when you apply to colleges isn’t necessarily how your performance compares to that of the rest of the high school students in the nation. What matters is how you compare to kids who are similar to you - similar in terms of background, geographical area, high school type, grades, extracurriculars. You’ll have to stand out against your peers, not necessarily against a student who lives across the country from you with different interests, passions, and activities. In order to determine what SAT scores are considered "excellent" amongyour peers, you need to have a good general idea of what your peers' scores are. SAT scores can be a sensitive topic, so here are some tips for getting information on this: 1. Get average SAT scores for your high school.Some schools have a report available where you can see aggregated SAT scores from past students. If you're not sure about how to access this information, check in with a guidance counselor. They may have their own thoughts about what they consider excellent SAT scores for your school. 2. Get average SAT scores from your classmates. If you want to narrow down your comparative peer group even more, you could consider the average scores of other students in your classes. SAT scores from peers in honors classes should give you an even better idea of excellent peer scores. If you feel comfortable asking around, make an effort to do that - just make sure not to pressure anyone into sharing scores. Excellent SAT Scores for College So now that you have a good idea of how you compare to your peers, you can start figuring out your best target schools based on SAT scores. Now, SAT scores are important for getting you into college, but people don’t tend to care about them once you get in. Your SAT scores don’t have to be at the top of the range (e.g. at the 75th percentile) for the schools you’re interested in attending - that would mean 75% of attending students were accepted with lower scores. Ultimately, they just have to be good enough to get your application considered. (Exception:if you anticipate that your application will be weak in other areas, higher SAT scores than other applicants will help your admissions case.) The best way to figure out what SAT score is likely to get you into a particular school is to look up the school's "middle 50" SAT scores. The middle 50 is the range of student scores between the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile - so if you ranked all the students in a college's class by SAT scores, this would be the score range for the 50% of students standing right in the middle. You can find detailed instructions on figuring out a school's optimal SAT score range. If your SAT is in the top 25% of scores for schools that you're considering (and your application is otherwise strong),you may want to consider applying to more competitive schools. By more competitive, I mean schools with higher average SAT scores and lower admissions rates.There are many benefits to attending a better-ranked school: it's likely to be more intellectually challengingand to have a stronger student body due to a more selective admissions process. A more prestigious school also sends a better "signal" to graduate programs and future employers, potentially leading to better income and career outcomes. If you'd like more information about optimal application strategies, check out our guides on reach and safety schools. Excellent SAT Scores for Yourself Time for some realistic self-evaluation. So you've considered what "excellent" SAT scores are relative to the country, your peers, and your target schools. Although these are all helpful comparison groups, there's one very important factor we have yet to take into consideration: your own abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Excellent scores by more objective standards may come easier to some students than others. Setting unrealistic goals for yourself based on these standards will be frustrating and unhelpful; setting "easy" goals for yourself based on these standards will mean that you sell yourself short. In order to come out of this process with both strong scores and your sanity intact, it's important to consider your own abilities when determining what SAT scores are "excellent." So how do you figure out what an excellent SAT score means for you? 1. Get a baseline score. Study for 10 hours in order to gain basic familiarity with the test and its content before taking a practice test. This will give you a baseline score to work from. Students can often improve 160+ points from baseline with additional test preparation. 2. Reach your own score maximum. Students usually reach a max limit after 40-80 hours of effective, focused studying. Getting that much prep in will mean you are dedicating yourself to excellence by your own standards. How Do You Prepare to Earn Excellent SAT Scores? You might have a roughrange in mind for those excellent scores you're hoping to earn. If not, you'll hopefully get a good baseline score to work from based on the guidelines above. Once you're ready to start working up towards that range, follow the guidelines here for an effective SAT preparation plan: 1. Set a timeline. If you're going to prepare for the SAT, you'll need a reasonable study plan based on how much time you have before the exam. Get instructions on how to do this here. 2. Set a goal score.You won't have anything to work towards if you don't set a challenging, but realistic, goal score for yourself. Start by looking up the "middle 50" SAT score ranges for target schools. You can get up-to-date information on these scores by Googling"[school name] PrepScholar admissions requirements." 3. Stick to a study plan. You can work from a study planspecifically for sophomores, juniors, or seniors, or you can come up withyour own. Try scheduling study sessions in your calendar ahead of time, or letting your parents in on your plan so they can hold you accountable. The better you stick to your plan, the more effective your studying will be. What's Next? 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Analogous Structures in Evolution

Analogous Structures in Evolution There are many types of evidence supporting evolution, including studies in the molecular biology field, such as DNA, and in the developmental biology field. However, the most commonly used types of evidence for evolution are anatomical comparisons between species. While homologous structures show how similar species have changed from their ancient ancestors, analogous structures show how different species have evolved to become more similar. Speciation Speciation is the change over time of one species into a new species. Why would different species become more similar? Usually, the cause of convergent evolution is similar selection pressures in the environment. In other words, the environments in which the two different species live are similar and those species need to fill the same niche in different areas around the world. Since natural selection works the same way in these environments, the same types of adaptations are favorable, and individuals with favorable adaptations survive long enough to pass down their genes to their offspring. This continues until only individuals with favorable adaptations are left in the population. Sometimes, these types of adaptations can change the structure of the individual. Body parts can be gained, lost, or rearranged depending on whether their function is the same as the original function of that part. This can lead to analogous structures in different species that occupy the same type of niche and environment in different locations. Taxonomy When Carolus Linnaeus first began classifying and naming species with taxonomy, the science of classification, he often grouped similar-looking species into similar groups. This led to incorrect groupings compared to evolutionary origins of the species. Just because species look or behave the same doesnt mean they are closely related. Analogous structures dont have to share the same evolutionary path. One analogous structure might have come into existence long ago, while the analogous match on another species may be relatively new. They may go through different developmental and functional stages before they are fully alike. Analogous structures are not necessarily evidence that two species came from a common ancestor. It is more likely they came from two separate branches of the phylogenetic tree and may not be closely related at all. Examples The human eye is very similar in structure to the eye of the octopus. In fact, the octopus eye is superior to the humans in that it doesnt have a blind spot. Structurally, that is the only difference between the eyes. However, the octopus and the human are not closely related and reside far from each other on the phylogenetic tree of life. Wings are a popular adaptation for many animals. Bats, birds, insects, and pterosaurs all had wings. But a bat is more closely related to a human than to a bird or an insect based on homologous structures. Even though all these species have wings and can fly, they are very different in other ways. They just happen to fill the flying niche in their locations. Sharks and dolphins look very similar due to color, placement of their fins, and overall body shape. However, sharks are fish and dolphins are mammals. This means that dolphins are more closely related to rats than they are sharks on the evolutionary scale. Other types of evolutionary evidence, such as DNA similarities, have proved this. It takes more than appearance to determine which species are closely related and which have evolved from different ancestors to become more similar through their analogous structures. However, analogous structures themselves are evidence for the theory of natural selection and the accumulation of adaptations over time.