Search

Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year university students generally accept evolution. At the same time, they lack substantial knowledge about it, even if they are enrolled in a biology-related study program. Additionally, we developed a multilevel-model that determines religious faith as the main influencing factor in accepting evolution. According to our model, knowledge about evolution and interest in biological topics also increase acceptance of evolution, but to a much lesser extent than religious faith. The effect of age and sex, as well as the country’s affiliation, students’ denomination, and whether or not a student is enrolled in a biology-related university program, is negligible. Conclusions Our findings indicate that, despite all their differences, most of the European education systems for upper secondary education lead to acceptance of evolution at least in university students. It appears that, at least in this sample, the differences in knowledge between countries reflect neither the extent to which school curricula c

Fenotipska plastičnost, kao univerzalno svojstvo svih organizama, predstavlja sposobnost jednog genotipa da u različitim uslovima životne sredine razvije različite fenotipske vrednosti osobina. Ovaj fenomen predstavlja važan mehanizam fenotipskog variranja insekatа i nalazi se u osnovi formiranja različitih pravaca evolucionih promena njihovih populacija uzrokujući adaptivnu divergenciju i posledičnu međupopulacionu reproduktivnu izolaciju. Od posebne važnosti je i uloga fenotipske plastičnosti u procesima ekološke specijacije, kada ekološki zasnovana divergentna selekcija između životnih sredina ograničava protok gena između populacija. Koristeći pogodnosti laboratorijske evolucije, ova studija proučava osobine životne istorije, njihova međusobna ograničenja i obrasce plastičnih odgovora, populaciono-ekološke i selekcione obrasce kao i promenu reproduktivnog ponašanja kod dve grupe laboratorijskih populacija fitofagnog insekta, Acanthoscelides obtectus, koje su evoluirale na različitim biljkama domaćinima (pasulj, Phaseolus vulgaris i naut, Cicer arietinum). Populacije selektovane na različitim biljkama pokazuju jasne razlike u životnim strategijama i stepenu plastičnosti osobina životne istorije i ponašanja. Načelno, populacije selektovane na pasulju imaju izraženiju sposobnost plastičnog odgovora na variranje identiteta biljke domaćina u poređenju sa populacijama selektovanim na nautu. Selekcioni režimi pokazuju i umeren stepen reproduktivne izolacije čime se ističe značaj divergentne selekcije u početnim fazama procesa nastanka novih vrsta., Phenotypic plasticity, a universal feature of all organisms, represents genotypes’ ability to produce alternative phenotypes in different environmental conditions. In insects, this phenomenon represents an important mechanism of phenotypic variation and it is fundamental for the establishment of different evolutionary trajectories of their populations causing adaptive divergence and consequential interpopulation reproductive isolation. Phenotypic plasticity is of particular importance during the process of ecological speciation, when ecologically based divergent selection between environments reduces gene flow among populations. Using the benefits of laboratory evolution, this study investigates life history traits, their trade-offs and plasticity patterns, population dynamics and selection patterns, as well as changes in reproductive behaviour, in two sets of laboratory populations of a phytophagous insect, Acanthoscelides obtectus, evolved on different host plants (white beans, Phaseolus vulgaris and chickpeas, Cicer arietinum). Populations selected on different plant hosts demonstrate distinct life history strategies and plasticity levels of life history and behavioural traits. Generally, populations selected on beans demonstrate prominent ability to plastically respond to host plant variation compared to chickpea selected populations. Selection regimes demonstrate moderate level of reproductive isolation emphasizing the importance of divergent selection in the first phases of the speciation.