For
my project I am proposing to create a map that shows the evolution of the
dog. I've chosen this topic because I
find evolution interesting and I'm a dog lover!
As of now I'm thinking that I would begin with the development of an
early carnivorous mammal 60 million years ago that eventually divided into the
Caniformia and Feliformia (canines and felines). If I begin so far back in history, I would
need to be able to make the continents move.
If this proves too difficult, then I will begin with the earliest evidence
of domesticated dogs 15,000 years ago. My
hope is that this map will have enough interesting and easy-to-understand archeological
and biological information, as well as nice pictures, to appeal to both
academics and simple dog loving adults.
The
PBS website has a map entitled "Dogs that changed the world: Discover
ancient breeds" and is the map that shows information closest to my topic. It is an extremely simple map that I would
build upon greatly, by adding a timeline and much more content and
information. I would like my map to be
similar in format to The Human Odyssey Map by the California Academy of Sciences. This map has an interactive timeline and
points to locations of important events in human history. Additional pictures and information appear
when the points are clicked. I would
include play and stop buttons to allow the user to watch the progression of dog
evolution/domestication without having to move the caret. As for style, I like to emulate that of the
Human Evolutionary Highway map from National Geographic. I also like that this map has a splash screen
and would like to include one on my map as well. I would also like to include links to
relevant online articles. I am not yet
sure if I will include any motion tweens or take a more "book" style
approach.
I
have found a lot of useful information from articles on science websites,
including Science Daily, and other websites, such as PBS.org and AKC.org, as
well as from a book called "How the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our
Best Friends" by Mark Derr. All of
these sources have been acquired, but still need to be thoroughly combed
through. As I have no experience using
Photoshop or other design programs, Flash will be the sole piece of software
used for this project. The obstacles I
foresee at this point include moving the continents with geologic time, keeping
the buttons in place with the continents as they move, and designing an
aesthetically pleasing map.
Schedule:
Week 1 - data processing
Week 2 - Design - where things
will go, find base map
Week 3 - Scripting timeline and
buttons
Week 4 - Content - pictures and
information
Week 5 - Splash screen, final
touches
A few days are left before the
due date (5/13) to work on the presentation and catch up on anything I might
need to. (Words: 498)
Inspirational Maps:
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