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Darwin & Natural Selection

Unit 6: Evolution Chapter 15

Theory of Evolution
 Evolution: The process of change over time
Specifically, a change in the frequency of a gene or allele in a population over time

Charles Darwin
 Father of Evolution  Proposed a mechanism for evolution, natural selection  Darwin went on a 5-year trip around the world on the ship, the HMS Beagle
As the ships naturalist, he made observations of organisms in South America and the Galapagos Islands

Wrote a book, Origin Origin of the Species Species

 His observations:
1. All plants and animals seemed to be well suited for the environment they inhabited 2. He was impressed by how the organisms survived. 3. He was impressed by how they produced offspring 4. He was puzzled by where different species lived vs. where they did not live.

Stick Mantid

Flower Mantid

Darwins Tortoises

Darwins Finches

 Darwin also studied the remains of dead organisms (fossils)


some seemed to resemble the living organisms in the same area some looked nothing like anything ever seen before

Natural Selection
 Organisms that are best adapted to an environment survive and reproduce more than others

 Darwins Theory of Natural Selection occurs in four steps:


Overproduction Variation Competition Selection

1. Overproduction
 Each species produces more offspring that can survive

2. Variation
 Each individual has a unique combination of inherited traits.
 Adaptation: an inherited trait that increases an organisms chances of survival

What adaptations do you see?

What adaptations do you see?

Why is Variation Important?


 Because the environment changes. species the more  The more variation within a species, likely it will survive
EX: If everyone is the same, they are all vulnerable to the same environmental changes or diseases

 The more variation of types of species in an habitat, the more likely at least some will survive
EX: Dinosaurs replaced by mammals

3. Competition
 Individuals COMPETE for limited resources:
Food, water, space, mates

 Natural selection occurs through Survival Survival of the fittest fittest


 Fitness: itness the ability to survive and reproduce

 Not all individuals survive to adulthood

4. Selection
 The individuals with the best traits / adaptations will survive and have the opportunity to pass on its traits to offspring.
Natural selection acts on the phenotype (physical appearance), not the genotype (genetic makeup)

 Individuals with traits that are not well suited to their environment either die or leave few offspring.  Evolution occurs when good traits build up in a population over many generations and bad traits are eliminated by the death of the individuals.

Peppered Moth
 Which moth will the bird catch?

Which community has a better chance of surviving a natural disaster?


Community A Community B

Descent with Modification


 Descent with Modification each living species has descended, with changes, from other species over time.  Common Descent all living organisms are related to one another

Evidence for Evolutions:


    
Fossil Record Homologous Body Structures Vestigial Organs Embryology Biochemical Evidence

The Fossil Record


 Fossils: ossils a record of the history of life on Earth

Archaeopteryx
 Missing link between reptiles and birds

Homologous Body Structures


 Homologous Body Structures: similar Structures anatomy in different types of animals because of common ancestor

Vestigial Organs
Vestigial Organs: leftover traces of evolution that serve no purpose

Embryology
 Embryology: Embryology embyos of all vertabrates are very similar early on

Developmental Stage

Amphibian

Bird

Monkey

Human

Fertilized egg Late cleavage Body segments

Limb buds

Late fetal

Biochemical Evidence
 Biochemistry: Biochemistry DNA with more similar sequences suggest species are more closely related
EX: Humans and chimpanzees share more than 98% of identical DNA sequences

Coral Snake (Poisonous)

Milk Snake (Not poisonous)

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