Science Journal 8: Evolutionary Biologist

Career of Interest:  Evolutionary Biologist

        Two subjects that greatly interest me are biology and history.  The idea of organisms evolving and changing in order to adapt to their environment and situation amazes me, and I am interested in learning more about the different time periods the Earth went through, and how organisms have evolved throughout them.  The career of evolutionary biologist seems to be a great mix of my two interests, and involves a lot of what I just mentioned. 

        An evolutionary biologist conducts research on how evolution has caused so many different species to emerge from just a few types of organisms.  Evolutionary biology is a large field; so many biologists choose to specialize within the field somehow.  For example, they might be concerned only with the evolution of a certain family or class.  Another biologist might be looking at a certain ecosystem, and be focused on the evolution of the species in that area.  Usually, no matter what specialized field an evolutionary biologist goes into, they will be working a lot with behavior and history.

        I greatly enjoy animals, so having a career based on analyzing animals, their behavior, and their history seems very exciting to me.  By looking at how animals have evolved, and how different species are related to each other, we’ll be able to get a good overview of their behavior and their environment.  We’ll be able to gain insights about the time periods in which they evolved, and from those insights we can make further theories about the history of the Earth.  This “bigger picture” intrigues me, since I, as well as countless others, am interested to know how life formed, and how the Earth shaped life.

        To become an evolutionary biologist, you need a degree from a post-secondary institution, since a biologist’s area of study goes far more in depth than what is covered in high school.  Most often, biologists get a bachelor’s degree in biology and then go on to get their master’s degree in a more specialized field.  Most universities have their biology courses categorized under “life sciences”.  In order to be accepted to most well-reputed universities for biology, you should take 6 grade 12 courses, including English, calculus and vectors, biology, and chemistry. 

        Once their education is completed, an evolutionary biologist can find work in many different areas.  They might work for a non-profit organization, private research companies, a university research group, or a government research project.  Even if an evolutionary biologist doesn’t get a job in their specialized field, the amount of education they have received is so thorough that with a small amount of training, and a little bit of adaptation (pun intended), they can work in a field that is different than what they were aiming for.  I believe that what an evolutionary biologist does is important, since looking at how life has changed throughout history is a great way to deal with the present and prepare for and predict the future.   

Bibliography:

http://www.princeton.edu/eeb/

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