The creation and evaluation of known evolutionary histories and the implementation of student investigatory experiences on evolution are difficult endeavors that have only recently been feasible. The research presented in this dissertation is related in their shared use of digital evolution with Avidians as a model study system, both to conduct…

Humans have long sought to understand the forces that shape the diversity of living creatures on our planet. This work is primarily concerned with examining one such force--the historical action of natural selection--from practical, philosophical, and pedagogical perspectives. The first half is concerned with a suite of genetic mechanisms in…

The theory of evolution is the central combing theory that brings together all the tenets of biology that bring about a solid understanding of life. It is also one of the most controversial scientific theories of all time and is widely rejected by about 40% of the general public in the United States. One of the biggest reasons for low evolution…

Genetics is universally recognized as a core aspect of biological and scientific literacy. Beyond genetics' own role as a major unifying topic within the biological sciences, understanding genetics is essential for understanding other integral ideas such as evolution and development. Genetics understanding also underlies public decision making…

In order to investigate the complexity of mutations, a computational approach named Genome Evolution by Matrix Algorithms ("GEMA") has been implemented. GEMA models genomic changes, taking into account hundreds of mutations within each individual in a population. By modeling of entire human chromosomes, GEMA precisely mimics real…

The theory of evolution has long generated controversy in American society, but Americans' attitudes about human evolution are often neglected in studies of "culture wars" and the nature of mass belief systems more generally (Berkman and Plutzer 2010; Freeland and Houston 2009). Gallup and other survey organizations have polled…

I have adopted complementary approaches to inferring human demographic history utilizing human and non-human genetic data as well as cultural data. These complementary approaches form an interdisciplinary perspective that allows one to make inferences of human history at varying timescales, from the events that occurred tens of thousands of years…