life on earth (biological concepts from the non-science major perspective)

Here is an abstract of a wonderful answer I received to my previous question from one of the Brainmass professors: "All life forms, including people, have evolved from earlier species. Moreover, all living species of organisms continue to evolve today. Science is the search for truth. Science continuously compares its theories objectively with evidence in the natural world. When theories no longer conform to the evidence, they are modified or rejected in favor of new theories that do conform. In other words, science constantly tries to prove its assumptions to be false and rejects implausible explanations. Thus scientific theories subject themselves to be objectively falsified. Any th... click for more

What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?

What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?

Why the peony may have evolved to cover the bud with the waxy coating?

Why the peony may have evolved to cover the bud with the waxy coating? Here is the answer I received from a previous TA. But it doesn't make any sence to me as it talks about scale and not Peony. 'Scale insects are the most common insects on plants. They usually go unnoticed until considerable damage has been done and a large population has developed. Many of them have several generations a year. They injure by sucking vital juices from the plant. Peony scale is found on the stems and branches of camellias (and azaleas). They are hard to recognize as they camouflage themselves well. The hard shell which covers their body is blended to match the color of the stems. Scale insects vary c... click for more

Evolution

Questions on the attached article.

i need a summary for the article:"speciation in the fossil record"

the article is attached on file.