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We humans consider ourselves unique. In terms of evolution, our ancestors and cousins have all died out. But groundbreaking discoveries made in the last few years have transformed our beliefs about our past. We now know there were at least four distinct species of human alive on the planet at the same time—and possibly more. Who were these "lost tribes" of humanity? What happened when we met them? And where did they all go? The answers strike deep...
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Planet earth is full of life, but how did life begin? All living things are made up of the same chemical elements, and yet are so diverse. In this program, learn about the principal characteristics of living organisms and their evolution through time, DNA, the beginning of Earth’s formation 4.5 billion years ago, and the theories of Oparin and Miller.
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Life appeared on our planet many millions of years ago. In this program, explore humankind’s unwritten history and the theory of our evolution. Topics include: characteristics of prehistoric man, Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon men, Homo sapiens, and primates—their origins, characteristics, skulls, and evolution.
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Drawing upon the history of early humans and highlighting contemporary indigenous lifeways, John Grim, School of Forestry, and Environmental Studies, Yale University, and Melissa Nelson, American Indian Studies, San Francisco State University, explain the sustaining power of ritual and celebratory acts that locate humans within the rhythms of Earth’s transformative systems.
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Likening the beauty and complexity of DNA to an epic poem, this program revolves around the idea that we all carry the story of life on Earth in our genes, and that the similarities between species may play a more significant role in that story than previously thought. A visit to Iceland's hot springs reveals heat-, acid-, and salt-resistant organisms called Archaea-primordial versions of which may have set the stage for multi-cellular life. Moving...
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Darwin's theory of natural selection, to be valid, required explanations for both the origin of variation and for the inheritance of variants. John Maynard Smith explains Lamarck's theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics (in which Darwin believed), Weismann's theory of separate inheritance lines of germ and soma, Mendel's experiments and explanations, and the discovery of the role of DNA in the transmission of genetic information.
11) The Gene machine
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Expanding on the subject of DNA, this intro-level program explores the central processes that govern the continuation of all life. Beginning with a discussion of Watson and Crick's pivotal 1953 paper describing the structure of DNA and its possible role in heredity, the program describes Crick's collaboration with Sydney Brenner in solving the DNA-to-protein puzzle and the role of RNA in protein synthesis. Mutagenic agents, restriction enzymes and...
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One of the most important stories in genetics is the race to understand DNA. This intro-level program guides viewers through that story, focusing on the biological and chemical processes central to the transfer of genetic material. Beginning in the middle of the 19th century, the program describes how competing scientists in Europe and America zeroed in on the DNA molecule and determined its structure. Friedrich Miescher's identification of "nuclein,"...
13) Peas in a pod
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Mapping the human genome is one achievement in a long line of scientific milestones. This intro-level program explores discoveries in the 18th and 19th centuries that gave birth to the science of genetics. Focusing on the work of Carl Linnaeus, Gregor Mendel, and Josef Kolreuter, the program shows how the basic laws of inheritance were established, highlighting the importance of Linnaean taxonomy and Mendel's revolutionary notion that there is a double...
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As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, genetics came into its own as a science. This intro-level program shows how the development of the microscope pushed genetic studies forward, and includes in-depth discussion of early cell theory, particularly the first observations of meiosis and mitosis. Exploring Thomas Morgan Hunt's findings involving Drosophila mutation, the program covers sex-linked inheritance, the discovery of the X and Y chromosomes...
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This ABC News program spotlights the work of Doug Owsley, curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, who is a keen interpreter of the silent yet expressive language of bones. Owsley and his biographer, Jeff Benedict, give examples of how he has used bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology to unravel mysteries ranging from identifying an exhumed Civil War cavalryman to determining the true cause of death of Branch...
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The discovery of the 3.3 million-year-old fossil of a Dikika infant is a major development in the study of human evolution. In this program from Tony Brown's Journal, evolutionary biologist Dr. Joseph Graves, author of The Race Myth: Why We Pretend Race Exists in America, provides intriguing insight into the evolution of the human race.
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This program shows the process of sedimentation, which has preserved those life forms extant at the time the rock was formed and-most strikingly where the Colorado River has cut through the Grand Canyon-exposes a veritable history of life on earth; presents the stratified evidence that simple organisms populated the earth first, followed by increasingly complex forms; demonstrates modern techniques for dating rock samples; and explains why fossils...
20) Evolution
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Since Charles Darwin formulated his theory of natural selection, our view of the world has changed. Although Darwin's theory itself has "evolved," scientists agree that living species slowly but surely diverged from common ancestors. This program begins with a segment on fossils, one of the most convincing proofs of evolution. It then retraces the major steps of evolution as they were uncovered by science. It also presents the major theories of evolution....