The Darwinian Concept of Evolution

THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION
THE DARWINIAN CONCEPT OF EVOLUTION

• Carolus Linnaeus: binomial system of naming species
• Georges Cuvier: developed paleontology, catastrophism
• Catastrophism: events in the past occurred suddenly and operated
under different mechanisms than those in the present
THE DARWINIAN CONCEPT OF EVOLUTION

• James Hutton proposed that the geologic features of the earth could be
explained by mechanisms that were still operating
• Charles Lyell: principle of uniformitarianism (mechanisms of change are
constant over time)
LAMARCK'S HYPOTHESIS OF EVOLUTION

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed a mechanism for evolution later
found to be incorrect Use and disuse
Inheritance of acquired characteristics
THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species
I) That descent with modification explains life's unity and diversity
2) That natural selection brings about the match between organisms and
their environment
DESCENT WITH MODIFICATION
• Unity in life
• Descent of all organisms from a common ancestor in the past
• These ancestors acquired diverse modifications
• Tree of life
• Natural selection
• Artificial selection
EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: DIRECT OBSERVATIONS

• Predators feed on prey that are less able to avoid detection, escape,
or defend themselves
• Prey that are less likely to reproduce and pass on their offspring do
not pass on their traits
• Ex. Drug-resistant HIV; medications selects viruses resistant to
medication Natural selection is a process of editing
EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: FOSSIL RECORDS

Able to document the origins of major new groups of organisms
Ex. Cetaceans (whales, dolphins)
Most mammals were terrestrial
Fossil records can test the evolutionary hypothesis
Early land vertebrates evolved from a group Of fishes
Amphibians evolved from land vertebrates
Hypotheses testes using radioactive dating techniques
EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION:

HOMOLOGY
Analysis of simi larities between organisms
Evolution is a remodeling process
Ex. Forelimbs show similar arrangement of bones
Pharyngeal pouches
Vestigial (leftover) structures
EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: GENETIC LANGUAGE

DNA
ANA
Universal
All species descended from a common ancestor
Evolutionary tree: represent our understanding of the patterns of
descent Convergent evolution: distantly related organisms resemble
one another for different reasons
EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: BIOGEOGRAPHY

Geographic distribution of species
Continental drift
Pangaea: single large continent 250 million years ago
200 million years ago: Pangaea began to break apart
Species were distributed in continents and remained similar to each
other
THE EVOLUTION OF POPULATIONS

Microevolution: smallest scale of evolution; changes in allele
frequencies over time Natural selection
Genetic drift
Gene flow
GENETIC VARIATION THROUGH MUTATION AND
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Phenotype (appearance) result of genotype (genetics)
Genetic variation can be measured at the molecular level (nucleotide)
or whole-gene level (gene)
Geographic variability also occurs as a cline (graded character along a
geographic axis)
GENETIC VARIATION THROUGH MUTATION AND

SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Mutation: Ultimate source of new alleles; change in nucleotide
sequence of DNA
Only mutations in cell lines that produce gametes can be passed on to
offspring
Point mutations: difference in one base pair; can be harmless in non-
coding regions
THE FOUNDER EFFECT

A small group becomes separated from the main population and
establishes a new population whose gene pool differs from the
main population
Genetic drift occurs in such cases
Accounts for high frequencies of genetic disorders in isolated
human populations
THE BOTTLENECK EFFECT

When a drastic reduction in the size of a population causes the
overrepresentation or underrepresentation of certain alleles in
survivors Genetic drift may occur
Humans cause bottlenecks for species. such as through forest fires
EFFECTS OF GENETIC DRIFT

Significant in small populations
Cause allele frequencies to change
Loss of genetic variation within populations
Can cause harmful alleles to become fixed
GENE FLOW
Transfer of genes into or out of a population due to movement of
fertile individuals or their gametes
Reduction of genetic variations between populations
Can result in a single population with a common gene pool
ASPECTS IN EVOLUTIONARY THINKING: SUMMARY

Phenotypic evolution comes from evolutionary change
The understanding of evolution necessitates the understanding of
history Lift is organized as a hierarchy

The Darwinian Concept of Evolution

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THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION

THE DARWINIAN CONCEPT OF EVOLUTION

THE DARWINIAN CONCEPT OF EVOLUTION

LAMARCK'S HYPOTHESIS OF EVOLUTION

THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: DIRECT OBSERVATIONS

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: FOSSIL RECORDS

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION:

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: GENETIC LANGUAGE

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION: BIOGEOGRAPHY

THE EVOLUTION OF POPULATIONS

GENETIC VARIATION THROUGH MUTATION AND

THE FOUNDER EFFECT

THE BOTTLENECK EFFECT

EFFECTS OF GENETIC DRIFT

ASPECTS IN EVOLUTIONARY THINKING: SUMMARY

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