BIG PICTURE: What This Whole Project Is

You are writing a 7501200 word scientific essay comparing:

Two integumentary structures in two chordates

OR

Explaining an unexpected relationship between two integumentary structures

Your audience = BIO 201 + BIO 344 students (scientific but not specialists)

Your essay must:

• Focus on one central comparison
• Include evolutionary context (homology, homoplasy, convergence, synapomorphy, etc.)
• Use peer-reviewed sources
• Be clearly organized
• Be accurate

Part 1: Topic & Thesis Assignment

What You Must Do

According to the prompt :

1? Pick Your Topic

In a few words, state what you are comparing.

Example:

• Feathers vs. Mammalian Hair
• Fish Scales vs. Reptile Scales
• Cetacean Hair Loss and Evolution

2? Write a Thesis Statement

The outline rubric says your thesis must:

• Be present
• Clearly relate topic + purpose

Your thesis should:

• Make an argument
• State what you will prove
• Mention evolutionary context

Weak thesis:

This paper compares feathers and hair.

Strong thesis:

Although feathers and mammalian hair both function in insulation, they are not homologous structures but represent convergent evolutionary solutions to thermoregulation, shaped by distinct developmental pathways and evolutionary histories.

3? Provide 3 Peer-Reviewed Sources

For each:

• Full citation
• 12 sentences explaining how it supports your thesis

They must be scientific, peer-reviewed.

Part 2: Outline

This is about organization + logic.

The outline rubric requires :

Include:

1. Your thesis statement
2. At least TWO lines of evidence
3. One must discuss evolutionary context
4. Each line must have at least one peer-reviewed source
5. Clear logical structure

What Lines of Evidence Means

Not just random facts.

Each section should support your thesis.

Example structure:

I. Introduction

• Background
• Thesis

II. Structure & Development

• Developmental origin
• Supporting citation

III. Evolutionary History

• Homology vs convergence
• Phylogenetic context
• Citation

IV. Function & Trade-offs

• Insulation
• Display
• Constraints

V. Conclusion

How They Grade It (Outline Rubric)

You lose points if:

• No evolutionary context
• Evidence doesnt connect to thesis
• Poor flow
• No peer-reviewed sources

Part 3: First Draft

This is your complete essay, 7501200 words

It must include:

1. Clear Central Idea

Final rubric says:

• Central idea clearly identified

2. Multiple Lines of Evidence

• Must support thesis
• No fluff

3. Evolutionary Context (VERY IMPORTANT)

Must use terms correctly:

• Homology
• Homoplasy
• Convergence
• Synapomorphy
• Plesiomorphy

If evolutionary terms are wrong you lose major points

4. Scientific Accuracy

The rubric separates:

• Evolutionary accuracy (10 pts)
• Other biological accuracy (8 pts)

No major inaccuracies.

5. Writing Style

Audience = scientists but not specialists

So:

• Use scientific terms
• But explain anything advanced
• No casual tone
• No oversimplification

6. References

Must:

• Be peer-reviewed
• Have in-text citations (if writing scientific style)
• Include Literature Cited section

7. Length

7501200 words

Over or under by >100 words = lose points.

Part 4: Final Essay Submission

This is the polished version of Writing 07.

Graded using Final Paper Rubric

Final Grading Breakdown (100 points total)

Organization (40 pts)

• Clear central idea
• Evidence supports thesis
• No fluff
• Logical flow

Accuracy (18 pts)

• Evolutionary context correct
• Biology correct

Communication (20 pts)

• Clear English
• Proper scientific style

References (10 pts)

• Peer-reviewed
• Correct citations

Mechanics (7 pts)

• Grammar
• Sentence clarity

Length (5 pts)

• 7501200 words

Topic vs. Thesis Statement ~

A topic is different from a thesis statement. Assignment 4 asks for both.

A topic is 1-3 keywords that helps the reader/grader broadly categorize your paper

A thesis statement is 1-2 sentences that that tell the reader the main point.

• You can think of it as what you would write if your whole paper were boiled down to one tweet.
• Should be a complete sentence.

Example:

• A topic (not a thesis): sexual selection
• Neither (not an argument, just a question): Why does sexual selection appear to produce some very unfit phenotypes?
• A thesis (a sentence): When one sex is the agent of selection, the fitness benefits of the optimal trait will “selfishly” go to that sex, whether or not the benefit of that particular trait is also shared with the opposite

Please make sure everything is plagrism free i need Turnitin report for ai and overall simiplarity for each part. I have attcahed all the rubrics and writing promt and instructions for this assigment.