CO QAH + MELC LW

Course Outline & Quality Assured HANDOUT No. 3

Handouts paired with MELC- Based in GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
Learner’s Worksheet

MELC:
5. Show patterns of descent with modification from common ancestors to produce the organismal
diversity observed today (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-10)
6. Trace the development of evolutionary thought (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-11)
Semester: 1 Week No. 3 Day: 1-4

LESSON 1: DESCENT WITH MODIFICATION

Descent with modification is one of the primary components of the theory of evolution. In this lesson, you
will learn how it work at the genetic, individual, and population levels of different organisms. Descent with
modification is simply passing traits from parent to offspring, and this concept is one of the fundamental ideas
behind Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. If you have a child, you're probably already aware of this. You
pass traits on to your children in a process known as heredity. The unit of heredity is the gene. Genes are
little bundles of information that are responsible for almost every aspect of a human (or any other organism,
for that matter). Genes are like a blueprint for how a person will be. However, your child does not get your
exact blueprint (they aren't little clones of you). Rather, your genes combine with your partner's genes and
small changes or mutations may occur along the way. And, if you have multiple children, you know there is a
different mix of genes that are combined for each child. This means that the gene pool is continuously adjusting
based on who is reproducing and how their genes are combined during the production of each offspring. Over
extended periods of time, evolution takes place.

Topic 1: The Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms

In the first edition of The Origin of Species, Darwin never used the word evolution (although the final word
of the book is “evolved”). Rather, he discussed descent with modification, a phrase that summarized his view
of life. Organisms share many characteristics, leading Darwin to perceive unity in life. He attributed the unity
of life to the descent of all organisms from an ancestor that lived in the remote past. He also thought that as
the descendants of that ancestral organism lived in various habitats, they gradually accumulated diverse
modifications, or adaptations, that fit them to specific ways of life. Darwin reasoned that over a long period of
time, descent with modification eventually led to the rich diversity of life we see today.

Darwin viewed the history of life as a tree, with multiple branchings

from a common trunk out to the tips of the youngest twigs (Figure 1).
In his diagram, the tips of the twigs that are labeled A–D represent
several groups of organisms living in the present day, while the
unlabeled branches represent groups that are extinct. Each fork of the
tree represents the most recent common ancestor of all the lines of
evolution that subsequently branch from that point. Darwin reasoned
that such a branching process, along with past extinction events, could
explain the large morphological gaps that sometimes exist between
related groups of organisms.

Figure 1. “I think. . .” In this 1837 sketch, Darwin envisioned the branching pattern of evolution.
Branches that end in twigs labeled A–D represent particular groups of living organisms; all other branches represent extinct groups
Retrieved from: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTu-
2wcrhrVCZKWmyQvqiYtUL55L0k_MCZUvyhSNJvRDdLj07wa6dyUpF9f4MHhG_g4SWM&usqp=CAU

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 As an example, let’s consider the
three living species of elephants: the
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and
two species of African elephants
(Loxodonta africana and L. cyclotis).
These closely related species are very
similar because they shared the same
line of descent until a relatively recent
split from their common ancestor, as
shown in the tree diagram in Figure 2.
Note that seven lineages related to
elephants have become extinct over
the past 32 million years. As a result,
there are no living species that fill the
morphological gap between the
elephants and their nearest relatives
today, the hyraxes and manatees.
Such extinctions are not uncommon. In
fact, many evolutionary branches, even
some major ones, are dead ends:
Scientists estimate that over 99% of all
species that have ever lived are now
extinct. As in Figure 2, fossils of extinct
species can document the divergence
of present-day groups by “filling in”
gaps between them.

Figure 2. Descent with Modification

Retrieved from:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/dox/darwin.html

A biological species is defined as a group of similar organisms able to interbreed to produce fertile, viable
offspring. Biological species are reproductively isolated from one another. The definition is sometimes
extended to require that such reproduction must occur under natural, not artificial (e.g., captive) conditions.
Evolution of reproductive isolating mechanisms prevents nascent species from interbreeding.

Isolating mechanisms can operate at two basic levels.

1. Prezygotic Mechanisms prevent formation of viable zygotes.

2. Postzygotic Mechanisms prevent hybrids from passing on their genes. Allow fertilization but nonviable
or weak or sterile hybrids are formed.

Pre-Zygotic Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms

1. Geographic or habitat isolation (Ecological) – potential

mates occupy different areas or habitats thus, they never
come in contact. Rivers change course, mountains rise,
continents drift, organisms migrate, and what was once a
continuous population is divided into two or more smaller
populations.
Figure 3. Geographic Isolation
Retrieved from:

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 https://www.google.com/search?q=geographic+isolation+image
2. Temporal or seasonal isolation (Allochronic) – different groups may not be reproductively mature at the
same season, or month or year. Example are individuals that
have bold behavioral types might be more likely to feed, or to
mate, during times of high-predation risk than individuals with
shy temperament types that are less likely to be active during
risky periods.
Figure 4. Temporal Isolation
Retrieved from:
https://slideplayer.com/slide/15787400/88/images/4/Temporal+isolation

3. Behavioral isolation (Ethological) – patterns of courtship are

different. Example are some birds that construct elaborate
bowers and decorate them with different colors in order to woo
females. If two incipient species evolved differences in this
mating ritual, it might permanently isolate them and complete the
process of speciation.

Figure 5. Behavioral Isolation

Retrieved from: data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABA

4. Mechanical isolation – differences in reproductive organs prevent successful interbreeding.

Lack of "fit" between sexual organs: This is a big issue for

insects with variably-shaped genitalia. These damselfly
penises illustrate just how complex insect genitalia may
be.

Figure 6. Damselfly Penises

Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/search?q=damselfly+penises+image

5. Gamete Viability isolation (Gametic) – incompatibilities between egg and sperm prevent fertilization.
Example are foxes which cannot interbred with coyotes, wolves, and domestic dogs and purple sea urchins
cannot interbreed with red sea urchins.

Figure 7. Gametic Isolation

Retrieved from: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-most-common-examples-of-
gametic-isolation

Post-zygotic Isolation Mechanisms

1. Hybrid inviability – fertilized egg fails to develop past the early embryonic stages.

2. Hybrid sterility – hybrids are sterile because gonads develop abnormally or there is abnormal segregation
of chromosomes during meiosis. The ability to participate in hybridization is not equally distributed in the
populations and frequently is restricted to a small proportion of cross-compatible genotypes.

3. Hybrid breakdown - F1 hybrids are normal, vigorous and viable, but F2 contains many weak or sterile
individuals.There are genes contributing to genetic incompatibilities, and therefore it results to the evolution of
intrinsic reproductive isolation (hybrid sterility and inevitability).

Note: Remember the different genetic mechanisms that can change gene frequencies. In the presence of a
reproductive isolating mechanism, genetic drift, natural selection, mutation and gene flow are free to operate
on the population. These will lead to genetic divergence and ultimately to species formation or speciation.

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 Topic 2: Speciation-Diversity of Organisms

Modes of Speciation

1. Allopatric speciation or geographic speciation (allo – other, patric – place; ‘other place’) - occurs
when some members of a population become geographically separated from the other members
thereby preventing gene flow. Examples of geographic barriers are bodies of water and mountain
ranges. Dispersal occurs when a few members of a species move to a new geographical area.
Vicariance occurs when something in the environment separates organisms of the same species into
groups Allopatric speciation may be by subdivision of the species range or by a peripheral isolate - a
small population which becomes cut off at the edge of the species range.

2. Parapatric speciation (para – besides, patric – place; ‘beside each other’) – occurs when the
groups that evolved to be separate species are geographic neighbors. Gene flow occurs but with great
distances is reduced. There is also abrupt change in the environment over a geographic border and
strong disruptive selection must also happen. Parapatric speciation could happen if a steep cline
evolved into a hybrid zone and barriers to interbreeding then evolved.

3. Sympatric speciation (sym – same, patric – place; ‘same place’) - occurs when members of a
population that initially occupy the same habitat within the same range diverge into two or more
different species. It involves abrupt genetic changes that quickly lead to the reproductive isolation of a
group of individuals. Example is change in chromosome number (polyploidization). Sympatric
speciation is most likely if selection first establishes a stable polymorphism and then favors assortative
mating within each polymorphic type.

4. Reinforcement is the enhancement of reproductive isolation by natural selection: forms are selected
to mate with their own, and not with the other, type. Sympatric speciation requires reinforcement to
happen; parapatric speciation usually requires it; allopatric speciation can take place with or without
reinforcement.

LESSON 2: DEVELOPMENT OF EVOLUTIONARY THOUGHT

The earliest concepts of evolution did not start with Charles Darwin. It was in the 18thcentury that many
naturalists began to state the idea that life might not have been fixed since creation. Paleontologists discovered
many fossils that gave them a picture of the past. Their discoveries made them more interested in the evolution
of organisms and their environment.

Table 1: A Timeline of Evolutionary Thought

Scientist Ideas/Concepts/Contributions
17th Century
John Ray (1627-1705) He established the modern concept of a species, noting that members of
one species do not interbreed with members of another species. He first
used the term species as the basic unit of taxonomy. He also studied
fossils and recognized them as remains of organisms that were once alive.

Carl Linnaeus, also called
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-
1798)
Georges Louis Leclerc,
Comte de Buffon (1707-
1788)
18thCentury
He developed the modern taxonomic system that is still used today.
He wrote a 36-volume Histoire Naturelle (Natural History) series. He
contributed to the debate on the age of Earth, suggesting that our planet
had initially formed in a molten state and that its gradual cooling must have
taken far longer than 70 000 years. He also considered the role of vestigial
organs, creating a possibility of species descending from earlier organisms

Erasmus Darwin (1731- He was Charles Darwin’s grandfather. He was aware that the modern
1802) organisms are different from the fossils scientist have collected. He
believed that the offspring inherited features from their parents, and that or
that the organisms today descended from a common ancestor.

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Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)
He studied and wrote books on comparative anatomy, which were
extremely useful in interpreting the remains of fossils. He classified
animals based on their body plans. This classification eventually became
important in analyzing relationships among organisms. His studies about
fossils contributed and gave rise to the science of paleontology. Finally, he
recognized that particular groups of fossils organisms were associated
with certain rock strata.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck He proposed that individuals were able to pass on their traits to their
(1744-1829) offspring.

James Hutton (1726-1797)
He made a significant contribution regarding the understanding of the
geological processes that shaped. He recognized that Earth is extremely
old (more than millions of years), and that there was no need for global
catastrophes to shape the surface of Earth. He was the proponent of
uniformitarianism, which states that the present geological features of
Earth are the results of gradual processes such as erosion and
sedimentation. It was through Hutton that Charles Darwin was able to
adapt the principles of gradual change to his model of how species
involved.

19th Century

Charles Lyell (1797-1875)
He considered the shaping of Earth’s surface as a result of gradual long-
term natural changes. He also collected many species of evidence to
support the principle of uniformitarianism and wrote about them in his book
Principles of Geology, which was also influential to the creation of Charles
Darwin’s theory.

Charles Robert (1890-1882)
He came up with the idea that the best-adapted organisms are those that
survive to breed and pass on their traits to their offspring. One of his
highlighted contributions was the development of his theory of evolution by
natural selection as a coherent explanation for the form and distribution of
species in different locations.

Alfred Russel Wallace Although he made an independent study on the origin of organisms,
(1823-1913) Wallace arrived at the same conclusion as Darwin’s: those organisms with
favourable traits are those that carry on to the next generation. Thus,
Wallace had contributed to some of the postulates of Darwin’s theory of
evolution.

REFERENCES

Berkeley. n.d. https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_15, Accessed 8, July 2021

BOUNDLESS. n.d. Lumen. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology textbook, Accessed
8,July,2021
Department of Education Curriculum and Instruction Strand. Most Essential Learning Competency with
Corresponding CG codes, 2020
DepEd Order No. 31 series 2020. Interim Guidelines for Assessment and Grading for the SY 2020-2021.
Henderson’s Dictionary of Biology, 15th ed., “Biology”. Edited by Eleanor Lawrence, Benjamin Cummings:
Pearson, 2011
Javier, Mark Archie O. “Development of Evolutionary Thought” in General Biology 2. Makati: Diwa Learning
System Inc., 2017
K to 12 Senior High School STEM Specialized Subject – Biology 2 (Curriculum Guide) August 2016
Licuanan, Patriacia B., et al. Teaching Guide for Senior High School General Biology 2. Commission on
Higher Education, 2016
Reece, Jane B., Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven Alexander Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, Robert B.
Jackson, and Niel A. Campbell.” Mechanisms of Evolution” in Campbell Biology. Boston: Pearson, 2014.

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CO QAH + MELC LW
LEARNING WORKSHEET No.3
Course Outline & Quality Assured Handouts
paired with MELC- Based Learning Worksheet in GENERAL BIOLOGY 2

Name: Grade & Section:

Teacher: Date Submitted:

MELC:
5. Show patterns of descent with modification from common ancestors to produce the organismal
diversity observed today (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-10)
Objective/Subtask: Distinguish the various types of reproductive isolating mechanisms that can lead to
speciation
Topic: The Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms

Semester: 1 Week No. 3 Day: 1-4

Worksheet :1 Title: The Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms Day: 1

A. Identification
Directions: Analyze the given situation. Determine the specific isolating mechanism. Write the number
that corresponds to the correct answer on the line provided.

PRE-ZYGOTIC

I. Geographic/Ecological/Habitat Isolation
II. Temporal or seasonal Isolation (Allochronic)
III. Behavioral Isolation (Ethological)
IV. Mechanical Isolation
V. Gametic Isolation

1. Two species of plants flower at different months.

2. Grass growing on pastures contaminated with heavy metals from mining activities and
those in surrounding grassland.
3. Seeds, seedlings, placed in stockrooms were isolated by time interval in terms of
planting.
4. Presence of female pilinut tree without male.
5. Duck and chicken with different courtship characteristics.

POST ZYGOTIC
I. Hybrid Inviability
II. Hybrid Sterility
III. Hybrid Breakdown
1. Adults of two species differ in decreased pollinator movement between the two species.
2. Hybrid seeds germinated but are less likely to survive than parental seeds.
3. Hybrid seeds are less likely to germinate than parental seeds.

B.
Directions: Differentiate Pre-zygotic from Post zygotic reproductive isolation mechanisms that may
lead to speciation. Which is most common in plants? How about in animals? Write your answer on the
space provided. Use the rubrics on the next page as your guide in crafting your answer.

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 PRE-ZYGOTIC POST- ZYGOTIC

Rubrics for rating your answer.

Excellent (5pts.) Good (4pts.) Poor (3pts.)
Relevance At least 3 ideas related to the At least 2 ideas related to At least 1 idea related to the
topic the topic topic
Effort At least 3 related researches At least 2 related At least 1 related research
researches
Total

MELC:
5. Show patterns of descent with modification from common ancestors to produce the organismal
diversity observed today (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-10)
Objective/Subtask: Identify the modes of speciation
Topic: Modes of Speciation

Worksheet: 2 Title: The Modes of Speciation Day: 2-3

Directions: Identify the mode of speciation involved in the following situations. Write the letter of the
answer on the line before the number.
A. Allopatric B. Parapatric C. Sympatric
1. In one species of desert plant found in a country in Africa, the flowers open in the early morning,
while in another species the same genus the flowers open in the late afternoon.
2. One type of European pine normally sheds its pollen in February, while another found in Asia
does not shed its pollen until April.
3. A population of lizards is split by an earthquake which leaves half of the population on an island
and the other half on the tip of the peninsula. These lizards can’t swim and have slightly different behavior.
4. A farmer mates a goat and a sheep together in his backyard. However, he finds he cannot use
this hybrid animal to produce any new hybrids.
5. Predatory fish also “prefer” colorful males. Colorful guppies live in streams with fewer predator.
Males in locations were there are more predators tend to be less colorful.
MELC:
6. Trace the development of evolutionary thought. (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-11)
Lesson: Development of Evolutionary Thought
Worksheet: 3 Title: The Development of Evolutionary Thought Day: 4

Directions: Give the contributions of these early scientists in shaping and developing evolutionary
thoughts. Write your answer on the space provided.

Scientist Contribution
Carolus Linnaeus
Alfred Russell Wallace
Charles Lyell
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

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Charles Robert Darwin
Georges Cuvier
James Hutton
Erasmus Darwin
John Ray
Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Prepared by: ROSALINA C. PALOGAR

ONHS

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S