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12
GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
QUARTER 3 – MODULE 3
“Evolution and Origin of
Biodiversity”
Writer: Grace V. Agos
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What I Need to Know

After studying this learning module, you should be able to understand the following:
1. able to show patters of descent with modification from common ancestors to produce organismal
diversity observed today (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-10).
2. trace the development of evolutionary thought (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-11).

What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following statements about biological species as (are) correct?
I. Biological species is a group of individuals whose members interbreed with one another.
II. Biological species are the model used for grouping extinct forms of life.
III. Members of biological species produce viable, fertile offspring.
A. I only B. II only C. I and III D. II and III
2. The following isolating mechanisms prevent fertilization and formation of zygote except __________.
A. Temporal isolation B. Hybrid breakdown C. Gametic isolation D. Ecological isolation
3. It is the occurrence of abrupt genetic change cause reproductive isolation between groups of individuals.
A. Allopatric speciation B. Gametic speciation C. Parapatric speciation D. Sympatric speciation
4. It occurs when populations are separated by geographic barrier.
A. Allopatric speciation B. Gametic speciation C. Parapatric speciation D. Sympatric speciation
5. It is the abrupt change in the environment over geographic border and strong disruptive selection
affects gene flow between neighboring populations.
A. Allopatric speciation B. Gametic speciation C. Parapatric speciation D. Sympatric speciation
6. Catastrophism, the regular occurrence of geological or metrological disturbances (catastrophes),
was Cuvier’s attempt to explain the existence of _______.
A. evolution B. fossil records C. uniformitarianism D. natural selection
7. Which of the following represents an idea that Darwin learned from the writings of Thomas Malthus?
A. Earth is more than 10,000 years old.
B. Environment is responsible for natural selection.
C. Population tends to increase at a faster rate than their food supply normally allows.
D. Technological innovation in agricultural practices will permit exponential growth of the human
population into the foreseeable future.
8. In the mid-1900s, the Soviet geneticists Lysenko believed that his winter wheat plant, exposed to
ever-colder temperatures, would eventually give rise to ever more cold-tolerant winter wheat.
Lysenko’s attempts in this regard were most in agreement with the ideas of ____.
A. Cuvier B. Darwin C. Hutton D. Lamarck
9. Which of the following ideas is not included in Darwin’s theory?
A. All organisms that have ever existed arose through evolutionary modification of ancestral species.
B. Great variety of species live today resulted from the diversification of ancestral species.
C. Natural selection drives some evolutionary change.
D. Natural selection eliminates adaptive traits.
10. Which of the following statements is not compatible with Darwin’s theory?
A. All organisms have risen by descent with modification.
B. Evolution has altered and diversified ancestral species.
C. Evolution occurs in individuals rather than in groups.
D. Natural selection eliminated unsuccessful variations.
11. Which of the following must exists in a population before natural selection can act upon that population?
A. Variation among individuals caused by environmental factors
B. Genetic variation among individuals
C. Sexual reproduction
D. None of the above
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12. Which of the following does not contribute to the study of evolution?
A. Comparative morphology C. Inheritance of acquired characteristics
B. Fossil records D. Population genetics
13. The theory of evolution by natural selection was independently developed by __?
A. Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace C. George Cuvier and Carolus Linnaeus
B. Charles Lyell and Thomas Malthus D. James Hutton and Jean Baptiste Lamarck
14. Which of the following ideas was developed by Thomas Malthus?
A. Nature operates to reduce variation in a population every generation.
B. The diversity of Galápagos finch species is the result of natural selection.
C. Peppered moths living near English industrial cities provide a good example of evolution.
D. Living things often produce far more offspring than are needed to maintain their numbers.
15. Which of the following is the basis of synthetic theory of evolution?
A. genetic mutation B. natural selection C. population genetics D. all of the above

Lesson 1 Patterns of Descent with Modification

Darwin defined evolution as "descent with modification," the idea that species change over
time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor. But exactly what has been modified?
Evolution only occurs when there is a change in gene frequency within a population over time. These
genetic differences are heritable and can be passed on to the next generation — which is what really
matters in evolution: long term change.

What’s In

Activity 1.1
Directions: Explain the following series of image using the basic mechanisms of evolutionary change
(mutation, migration, genetic drift, and natural selection)

Image credit: http://evolution.berkeley.edu

What’s New

Directions: Compare these two examples of change in beetle populations then answer the guide
questions that follow.
A. Beetles on a diet B. Beetles of a different color

Image credit: http://evolution.berkeley.edu Image credit: http://evolution.berkeley.edu

Guide Questions:
1. Which one is an example of evolution?
2. Which example illustrates descent with modification — a change in gene frequency over time?
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What is It

THE BIOLOGICAL CONCEPT OF SPECIES

According to the most widely used species definition, the biological species concept, a species
is a group of organisms that can potentially interbreed, or mate, with one another to produce viable,
fertile offspring.
To be a single species in the biological species concept, a group of organisms must produce
healthy, fertile offspring when they interbreed. In some case, organisms of different species can mate
and produce healthy offspring, but the offspring are infertile, cannot reproduce.
The biological species concept connects the idea of a species to the process of evolution. Because
members of a species can interbreed, the species has a common gene pool, a collection of gene variants.
On the other hand, genes are not exchanged between different species. Even if organisms of
different species combine their DNA to make offspring, the offspring will be sterile, unable to pass on
their genes. Because of this restricted gene flow, each species evolves as a group distinct from other
species.
Broadly speaking, different species are unable to interbreed and produce healthy, fertile offspring
due to barriers called mechanisms of reproductive isolation.
These barriers can be split into two categories based on when they act: prezygotic and postzygotic.
PREZYGOTIC BARRIERS
Prezygotic barriers prevent members of
different species from mating to produce a zygote, a
single-celled embryo.
1. Geographical or ecological or habitat
isolation. Two species might prefer different habitats
and thus be unlikely to encounter one another.
Example: The two cricket species below prefer to live
in different environments—sandy soil in disturbed
areas vs. loamy, natural soil at the edge of forests—
which contributes to their reproductive isolation.
Image credit: Formation of new species: Figure 9 by OpenStax College, Biology, CC BY 4.0
2. Temporal or seasonal isolation. Two species
might reproduce at different times of the day or year
and thus be unlikely to meet up when seeking mates.
Example: The two frog species below are reproductively
isolated because the frog on the left reproduces earlier
in the year than the frog on the right.

Photo A shows Rana aurora, a beige frog with green spot; Photo B shows Rana boylii, a brown frog.
Image credit: Formation of new species: Figure 9 by OpenStax College, Biology, CC BY 4.0
3. Behavioral isolation. Two species might have
different courtship behaviors or mate preferences and
thus find each other "unattractive".
Example: This can be as tiny as a slight difference in the
songs sung by males of two bird species—if females of
each species are attracted only to the song of their own
species.
Photo A shows Bird of paradise; Photo B shows Teminick Tragopan.
Image credit: ahttp://www.bio.miami.edu/
4. Mechanical isolation. Two species might have bodies or
reproductive structures that simply do not fit together.
Example: Snail Shell Coiling. In some snail species, the direction of shell
coiling is controlled by a single (maternal effect) gene. Left-coiling snails
cannot mate with right-coiling snails.
Image credit: http://www.bio.miami.edu/
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5. Gametic isolation. Two species might produce egg and sperm cells that cannot combine in
fertilization, even if they meet up through mating. Example: Example: Sympatric Sea Urchin Species.
Sea urchins synchronously broadcast gametes into the
ocean. Sperm and eggs from the same species fuse to
form zygotes. These develop into planktonic larvae that
eventually settle to metamorphose into adults. The Giant
Red Urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) and
the Purple Urchin (Strongylocentrotus
purpuratus) cohabit but do not interbreed. Their gametes
do not recognize one another, maintaining species
integrity. Image credit: http://www.bio.miami.edu/

POSTZYGOTIC BARRIERS
Postzygotic barriers keep hybrid zygotes—one-celled embryos with parents of two different
species—from developing into healthy, fertile adults. Postzygotic barriers are often related to the
hybrid embryo's mixed set of chromosomes, which may not match up correctly or carry a complete set
of information.
In some cases, the chromosomal mismatch is lethal to the embryo or results in an individual
that can survive but is unhealthy. In other cases, a hybrid can survive to adulthood in good health but
is infertile because it cannot split its mismatched chromosomes evenly into eggs and sperm.
1. Hybrid inviability. Sperm and egg from the two species may combine, but the genetic
information is insufficient to carry the organism through normal development. The embryo dies after a
few cleavages, or some time before birth/hatching.
Tiger Leopard
Example: Tigers (Panthera tigris) and Leopards
(Panthera pardus). Tigers and Lions are sister taxa.
Their hybrid offspring are viable and robust, but sterile.
A mating between a lion and leopard will produce sterile
hybrids. A mating between a tiger and leopard will
produce inviable hybrids. Their zygotes divide, but
embryo miscarries or is stillborn.
Image credit: http://www.bio.miami.edu/
2. Hybrid sterility. Hybrids are sterile because gonads develop
abnormally or there is abnormal segregation of chromosomes during
meiosis.
Example: Horse (Equus caballus) and Donkey (Equus asinus). Horses and
donkeys have been separate species for millions of years. Their hybrid
offspring are viable and robust, but sterile. Reciprocal cross offspring are
somewhat different (maternal mitochondrial input and maternally and
paternally imprinted genes differ)
• male horse x female donkey --> mule Image credit: http://www.bio.miami.edu/
• male donkey x female horse --> hinny
3. Hybrid Breakdown. Two related species can hybridize, and their F1
offspring are fertile. But successive generations (F2 and beyond) suffer lower
viability or fecundity. Thus, they cannot become an established population.
Example: Rice cultivars. Cultivars of domestic rice have been artificially
selected for centuries. Some are closely related enough to hybridize. F1
hybrids are fertile and viable. F2 generation is stunted and sterile.

Image credit: http://www.bio.miami.edu/

HOW DO NEW SPECIES ARISE?

New species arise through a process called speciation. In speciation, an ancestral species splits
into two or more descendant species that are genetically different from one another and can no longer
interbreed.
For speciation to occur, two new populations must be formed from one original population, and
they must evolve in such a way that it becomes impossible for individuals from the two new
populations to interbreed.
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MODELS OF SPECIATION
1. Allopatric speciation (allo – other, patric – homeland) occurs when members of a population
become geographically separated from the other members thereby preventing gene flow. Organisms
of an ancestral species evolve into two or more descendant species after a period of physical
separation caused by a geographic barrier, such as a mountain range, rockslide, or river.
2. Sympatric speciation (sym – same, patric –
homeland) occurs when members of a population
that initially occupy the same habitat within the
same rage diverge into two or more different
species. Organisms from the same ancestral
species become reproductively isolated and
diverge without any physical separation. Example
is change in chromosome number
(polyploidization).
3. Parapatric speciation (para – same, patric –
homeland) occurs when the groups that evolved to
be separated species are geographic neighbors.
Gene flow occurs but with great distance is
reduce. There is also abrupt change in the
environment over geographic border and strong
disruptive selection must also happen.
Figure 1. The difference on the model of speciation
Image credit: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/speciation/

What’s More

ACTIVITY 1.3 IDENTIFICATION

Directions: Based on the description given, identify the isolating mechanism involve.
1. Two species of garter snakes live in the same region, but one lives in water and the other on land.
2. Two species of meadowlarks with different mating songs.
3. Two species of trout that breed in different seasons.
4. Two species of plants flower at different months.
5. Liger is a sterile offspring of tiger and lion.
6. Hybrids between the cotton species Gossypium barbadense, G. hirsutum, and G. tomentosum appear
vigorous and fertile, but their progenies die in seed or early in development, or they develop into
sparse, weak plants.
7. D. melanogaster and D. simulans have incompatible alleles for nuclear pore proteins.
Directions: Based on the description given, identify the mode of speciation.
8. The hemp nettle, Galeopsis tetrahit is a tetraploid found to thrive in the same area as two other
diploids species, Galeopsis pubescens and Galeopsis speciosa.
9. The Panama porkfish, Anisotremus taeniatus, found in the Pacific Ocean is morphologically like the
porfish, Anisotremus virginiasus, found in the Caribbean Sea are separated by a land bridge
between North ad South America called the Isthmus of Panama.
10. The Siberian lesser black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull and herring gull are all found in
the Arctic region. The lesser black-backed gull interbreeds with the Siberian lesser black-backed
gull but not with the herring gull.

What I Have Learned

Activity 1.4 KWL CHART

Directions: Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
What I What I What I

Know Wonder Learned

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What I Can Do

ACTIVITY 1.5 DRAW

Directions: Draw and interbreed two species of animals or plants and show/draw their possible offspring.
Criteria Score
Originality of the species (Has anyone done studies of this type before?) 15 pts
Feasibility of the study (How possible is the proposed breeding? Can the target organism support the proposed trait?) 15 pts
Potential application of the new organism (What benefits would the recombinant organism provide to society?) 20 pts
TOTAL: 50 pts

Additional Activities

ACTIVITY 1.6 FILM VIEWING

Direction: What “The Beak of the Finch” made by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through HHMI
Biointeractive website (http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/origin-species-beak-finch) or through
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcM23M-CCog) and answer the following questions:
1. How the Galapagos finches got their different finches?
2. Why the Galapagos finches have different beaks?
Needs
Excellent Merit Achieved
Criteria improvement Score
(20pts) (15pts) (10pts)
(5pts)
Content Essay has a clear central idea Essay has a clear central Central idea is not Essay has no
with substantial, specific with idea with sufficiently clearly stated with central idea with
strong development of ideas developed content limited content superficial content
Organization Details are in logical order Details are in logical Some details are not All details are not
and interesting order yet less interesting in logical order in logical order

Lesson 2 Development of Evolutionary Thought

Have you ever asked yourself, “If humans evolved from monkeys, then why do we still have
monkeys?” Or perhaps, “If evolution happens, then why don’t we ever see new species?”

What’s In

ACTIVITY 2.1 WORD SEARCH

Direction: The following words are associated with evolutionary thought. Circle the 10 words listed
below. Words appear straight across, backward straight across, up and down, down and
up, and diagonally.
A W S E C N A T I R E H N I X O N R R E G T
P G R A D U A L I S M E T O I B F S C R H A
R E C O M B I N A N S R D G Y P O D J E O X
O N A T U R A L S E L E C T I O N I V R S O
T E R E E V O L U T I O N E N Z Y M E S T N
E T F R G Q H O L K S U Y A C V M S C H C M
I I D C R E C A T A S T R O P H E A T E E Y
N C E V A R I A T I O N G S E I L L O W L G
L S U P R W E E L I F A A D A P T A T I O N
EVOLUTION NATURAL SELECTION CATASTROPHE INHERITANCE
GRADUALISM TAXONOMY FOSSILS
ADAPTATION GENETICS VARIATION
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What’s New

Activity 2.2 NAME THAT SCIENTIST

Direction: Name the scientist who is best known for the following work/contribution/discoveries.
Choose from the names listed below. Write your answer on a separate sheer of paper.
1. Father of taxonomy 3. Father of Modern Genetics 5.Uniformitarianis
2. Natural selection 4. Theory of use and disuse
Gregor Mendel Charles Darwin
Carolus Linnaeus Aristotle
What is It Jean Baptiste Lamarck Charles Lyell

The Development of Evolutionary Thought

I.Ancient Beliefs
A. Plato (428-348 BC). He provided and influential argument for the notion of an externally imposed
origin of living beings through the action of an intelligent Craftsman who orders a mathematically
conceived matter into a rational cosmos that includes living beings in accord with eternal archetypes
or forms, realizing through this activity both aesthetic and
rational ends.
B. Aristotle (384-322 BC). Aristotle developed the idea
of Scala Naturae ("Natural Ladder") to organize all things in
the natural world, living and non-living. Aristotle's Scala
Naturae showed a continuum from "lower" forms of matter
to "higher" forms of matter. Everything has a place on the
ladder, and species cannot switch places (species were fixed
creations arranged by their complexity)

II. Beginning of Modern Scientific Methods and Thoughts

A. Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778). Dubbed as the father of
taxonomy, he developed a way to name and organize
species through a hierarchical classification system using
binomial nomenclature (a 2-part naming method) which
he published in his "Systema naturae". The "Systema"
catalogued the diversity of living things in a cohesive and
logical manner - the now-familiar hierarchical way of
arranging organisms, from the all-inclusive Kingdoms
through Classes and Orders to the Genus and Species of
each living thing. Figure 2. Linnaean system of classification
Image credit: https://ashclassification.weebly.com/levels-of-classification.html

B. Thomas Robert Maltus (1766-1834. Thomas Maltus was an English economist and demographer
who is best known for his theory that population growth will always tend to outrun
the food supply and that betterment of humankind is impossible without stern limits on
reproduction (Malthusianism).
In 1798 Malthus published anonymously the first edition of An Essay on the Principle of
Population as It Affects the Future Improvement of Society, in which he argued
that infinite human hopes for social happiness must be vain, for population will always tend to
outrun the growth of production.
C. Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1701-1788). He was a French naturalist. In 1779, he
suggested that our planet had formed in a molten state and that its gradual cooling must have taken
far longer than the 6000 years by experimental means. Buffon also gave consideration to the concept
of evolution, wondering about the role of vestigial organs, which appeared to give the lie to the idea
that creation achieved perfection of form, and about the possibility of species descending from earlier
ancestors.
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D. Georges Cuvier (1769-1832). His work was extremely useful in

interpreting the remains of fossil animals and relating them to living
species. Cuvier also classified animals according to their body plan (as
vertebrates, mollusks, those with jointed exoskeletons and those with
radial symmetry), a major advance in thinking about relationships. His
extensive studies of fossils gave rise to the science of paleontology, and
he recognized that groups of fossil organisms were associated with
certain rock strata.
The catastrophism model of Earth's history
Catastrophism was a theory developed by Georges Cuvier based
on paleontological evidence in the Paris Basin. Instead of finding Figure 3. A comic depicting the
a continuous succession of fossils, Cuvier noticed several gaps implications of attributing mass extinction
where all evidence of life would disappear and then abruptly events to worldwide flooding.
reappear again after a notable amount of time. Cuvier recognized Image credit:
https://publish.illinois.edu/foundationof
these gaps in the fossil succession as mass extinction events. moderngeology/catastrophism/
This led Cuvier to develop a theory called catastrophism.
Catastrophism states that natural history has been punctuated by catastrophic events (floods etc.)
that altered that way life developed and rocks were deposited. Areas were then repopulated by
migration from unaffected areas: there was no room in this model for the evolution of new species. In
his view, life had existed unchanged on Earth for hundreds of thousands of years, ever since the
Creation. Cuvier's adherence to the concept that species were "fixed" and unchanging meant.
E. James Hutton (1726-1797). Scottish geologist, he made a significant contribution to the
understanding of the geological processes that shaped the Earth. He was a keen chemist but also
developed a strong interest in geology. Hutton recognized that the Earth was extremely old. He saw
that there was no need for global catastrophes to shape the surface of the Earth. Instead, given
sufficient time, the gradual ongoing processes of erosion, sedimentation, and uplift could produce
the geological features he saw. This concept became known as the principle of uniformitarianism.
F. Charles Lyell (1797-1875). Lyell travelled widely in Europe, where
he observed ancient, raised seabed separated by lava flows and became
convinced that Hutton's model of gradual geological change was
correct. He collected a large amount of supporting evidence for
uniformitarianism and set this out in the "Principles of Geology", a book
that had a tremendous influence on Darwin. As well as building on the
idea of gradual long-term natural changes as the shaping force of the
Earth's surface, Lyell considered the origins of plants and animals.
While he believed in the special creation of all species now in existence,
he also recognized that many species had become extinct and been
replaced by others.
Figure 4. A diagram depicting the rock
Uniformitarianism. This theory states that the forces forming processes described by
and processes observable at earth’s surface are the same that uniformitarianism.
have shaped earth’s landscape throughout natural history. The Image credit:
earth sculpting processes alluded to above are the processes of https://publish.illinois.edu/foundationofmo
derngeology/uniformitarianism/
erosion, deposition, compaction, and uplift. Although these
processes are constant, they occur at extremely slow rates. The theory also states that these
processes have occurred at constant rates throughout natural history.
G. Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck (1744-1829). A French
naturalist, Lamarck made observations of fossils and living organism and believed that the origin of
living beings is initially through spontaneous generation and progress inevitably toward greater
complexity and perfection by "powers conferred by the supreme author of all things"--that is by an
inherent tendency toward complexity.
In 1809, Lamarck proposed that organisms evolved in response to their environment. To evolve
means to change from one form to another. He was the first biologist to suggest that organisms
undergo evolution.
Observations made by Lamarck were based on two basic facts:
1. the fossil record which showed that organisms in the past were different from those living today.
2. his theory explained why each organism, was so well adapted to its environment. Each organism,
therefore, has adaptations to suit its way of life. However, Lamarck explained that these
adaptations have been developed by the animal as acquired traits passed from parents to
offspring (inheritance of acquired characteristics). And this is how evolution occurs.
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Lamarck further explained that changes are gradually acquired over the centuries. Organisms
develop specialized characteristics by the use and disuse of organs. On the other hand, an organ
which is not used might shrink or even disappeared. This became the
theory of use and disuse.
H. Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Charles Darwin, an English
naturalist, prosed an entirely different mechanism to account for
evolution of species.
Darwin and the HMS Beagle Voyage. Darwin's seminal book, On the
Origin of Species (1859), set forth his ideas about evolution and
natural selection. These ideas were largely based on direct
observations from Darwin's travels around the globe. From 1831 to
1836, he was part of a survey expedition carried out by the ship HMS
Beagle, which included stops in South America, Australia,
and the southern tip of Africa. At each of the expedition's Figure 5. The different finches evolved with
different beaks on different islands, as natural
stops, Darwin had the opportunity to study and catalog the selection favored the beak that was best able to
local plants and animals. access the food sources of each bird's home
Over the course of his travels, Darwin began to see island. Photo grabbed from
intriguing patterns in the distribution and features of www.khanacademy.com Image credit: "Darwin's
finches," by John Gould (public domain).
organisms. On his travels he had collected finches from
many of the Galápagos Island, which helped him explain the
patterns he had seen.
Darwin proposed that species can change over time, that new species come
from pre-existing species, and that all species share a common ancestor. In this
model, each species has its own unique set of heritable (genetic) differences from
the common ancestor, which have accumulated gradually over very long time
periods. Repeated branching events, in which new species split off from a
common ancestor, produce a multi-level "tree" that links all living organisms.
Moreover, from his travels on HMS Beagle, Darwin suspected
that the environment might naturally manipulate species, causing Figure 6. Original line drawing of an
them to change over time - but he could not find a means to explore English Pouter pigeon from the book
this effectively in the wild. Experimenting with artificial selection in Variation in Animals and Plants under
Domestication by Charles Darwin.
pigeons gave him a way to study how far a species could change.
(Image credit:
By artificially selecting features - crossing birds with www.khanacademy.com)
characteristics to generate different offspring - he gathered valuable
evidence for evolution by natural selection.
To illustrate his theory, Darwin bred the birds to have exaggerated features.
While Darwin visited Argentina in 1833, he explored the coast and walked inland where he
discovered the fossils of many different creatures. Near Punta Alta, the plains revealed the previous
existence of large land animals, including the Toxodon, the long-necked Macrauchenias and the
armadillo-like Scelidotheriums.
Evolution. Darwin referred to this process, in which groups of organisms change in their
heritable traits over generations, as “descent with modification." Today, we call it evolution.
Importantly, Darwin did not just propose that organisms evolved, he also proposed a mechanism
for evolution: natural selection. This mechanism was elegant and logical, and it explained how
populations could evolve (undergo descent with
modification) in such a way that they became better
suited to their environments over time.
Darwin's concept of natural selection was based on
several key observations:
1. Traits are often heritable. In living organisms, many
characteristics are inherited, or passed from parent to
offspring. (Darwin knew this was the case, even though he
did not know that traits were inherited via genes.) Photo credit: www.khanacademy.com
2. More offspring are produced than can
survive. Organisms can produce more offspring than
their environments can support. Thus, there is
competition for limited resources in each generation.
Photo credit: www.khanacademy.com
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3. Offspring vary in their heritable traits. The offspring in any

generation will be slightly different from one another in their traits
(color, size, shape, etc.), and many of these features will be
heritable. Photo credit: www.khanacademy.com

Based on these simple observations, Darwin concluded the following:

1. In a population, some individuals will have inherited traits that help them survive and reproduce
(given the conditions of the environment, such as the predators and food sources present). The
individuals with the helpful traits will leave more offspring in the next generation than their peers
since the traits make them more effective at surviving and reproducing.
2. Because the helpful traits are heritable, and because organisms with these traits leave more
offspring, the traits will tend to become more common (present in a larger fraction of the
population) in the next generation.
3. Over generations, the population will become adapted to its environment (as individuals with traits
helpful in that environment have consistently greater reproductive success than their peers).
To this day the theory of evolution by natural selection is accepted by the scientific community
as the best evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth.
The theory proposes that the 'fittest' individual organisms - those with the characteristics best
suited to their environment - are more likely to survive and reproduce. They pass on these desirable
characteristics to their offspring.
Gradually these features may become more common in a population, so species change over
time. If the changes are great enough, they could produce a new species altogether.
I. Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913). British naturalist, Alfred Wallace co-developed the theory of
natural selection and evolution with Charles Darwin, who is most often credited with the idea.
Like fellow naturalist and colleague Charles Darwin, Wallace traveled the world, observing and
collecting samples of species. He traveled to Brazil and various islands of the Malay Archipelago that
make up modern-day Indonesia and the Philippines, where he collected thousands of specimens of
insects, birds, and other animals.
Wallace knew Darwin was working on similar research. In 1858, he sent Darwin a letter
outlining his ideas about evolution. The two collaborated on a scientific paper, discussing their
evidence for natural selection and evolution.
III. Modern synthesis
Gregor Mendel, through his work on pea plants, discovered the fundamental laws of
inheritance. He deduced that genes come in pairs and are inherited as distinct units, one from each
parent. The Modern Synthesis forged the contributions of genetics, systematics, and paleontology. It
describes the fusion of Mendelian genetics with Darwinian evolution that resulted in a unified theory
of evolution. It is sometimes referred to as the Neo-Darwinian theory. It introduced several changes
in how evolution and evolutionary processes were conceived. It proposed a new definition of
evolution as "changes in allele frequencies within populations, "thus emphasizing the genetic basis
of evolution. (Alleles are alternate forms of the same gene, characterized by differences in DNA
sequence that result in the construction of proteins that differ in amino acid composition.)
Important key points on the Modern Synthesis:
a. Populations contain genetic variation that arises by random mutation and recombination.
Mutation is a weak evolutionary force but is crucial because all genetic variation arises originally from
mutation, alterations in the DNA sequences resulting from errors during replication or other factors.
Recombination is a mechanism that splits and recombine pieces of DNA to create new allele
combination.
b. Populations evolve by changes in gene frequency brought about by random genetic drift, gene flow
and especially natural selection.
Genetic drift describes random changes in allele frequencies in a population. It is particularly
powerful in small populations.
Gene flow describes allele frequency changes due to the immigration and emigration of
individuals from a population.
Natural selection, by which the best-adapted organisms have the highest survival rates, is the
only evolutionary force that makes organisms better adapted to their environments.
c. Most adaptive changes are gradual.
 Page 12 of 14

d. Diversification comes about by speciation, which ordinarily entails the gradual evolution of
reproductive isolation among populations.
e. These processes, continued for sufficiently long periods, give rise to changes of such great
magnitude as to warrant the designation of higher taxonomic levels.
The Modern Synthesis was developed by a few now-legendary evolutionary biologists in the
1930s and 1940s.
a. Ronald A. Fisher, John Burdon S. Haldane and Sewall Wright work on population genetics.
b. Theodosius Dobzhansky made extensive studies of natural populations of the fruit fly Drosophila that
supported many aspects of the theory.
c. Ernst Mayr developed the biological species concept and created models concerning how speciation occurs.
d. George Gaylord Simpson helped integrate paleontological observations into the theory behind the Modern
Synthesis.
e. Ledyard Stebbins contributed tenets (principles) based on his botanical work.

What I Have Learned

Activity 2.4 KWLH CHART

Directions: Now, based on the above discussions, fill in the following KWLH Chart to track your
learning status in this module. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

What I What I What I

How
Know Wonder Learned I Learned

What I Can Do

ACTIVITY 2.5 CONCEPT-MAPPING

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, create a concept map on the development of evolutionary
thought. You will be graded based on the following rubrics.
Excellent Merit Achieved Needs improvement
Criteria Score
(4pts) (3pts) (2pts) (1pt)
A few concepts Many factual errors exist such
All concepts and connections Most concepts and
or connections as inappropriately explaining
Accuracy present are correct and accurately connections shown
may be off the relationship between
described. are accurate.
base. concepts.
Captures the entire scope of the
Essential elements Only some
topic presented, Omits one or more major
of the topic is essential
Completeness including all required concepts or connections.
present, but smaller elements of the
concepts. All connections
details are missing. topic is present.
include insightful linking phrases.
Branches are well There are few
Overall organization organized but there flaws on the
Connections are incomplete.
Organization demonstrates synthesis and is a minor flaw in organization,
sorting of ideas. the synthesis of synthesis and
ideas sorting of ideas.

Additional Activities

ACTIVITY 2.5 EVOLUTION POEM

Directions: Summarize the topic and creatively translate them into a poem describing what you have
learned about the development of evolutionary thought. Write your poem on a separate sheet of paper.
 Page 13 of 14

Grade General Biology 2

12
Quarter 3- Module 3
Module Title: Evolution and Origin of …
Subject Teacher: JERIC F. GURTIZA
5
Name: _______________________________________________________
12-Erudite STEM
Grade & Section: ________________________Strand: ________________
Barangay: ____________________________________________________

Summative Assessment

DIRECTIONS: Please answer this test independently.

Part 1: MULTIPLE CHOICES. Answer the following items. Encircle the letter of the best answer.
1. The following statement is true about biological species except one. Which one?
A. Members of biological species produce viable, fertile offspring.
B. Biological species are the model used for grouping extinct forms of life.
C. Biological species is a group of individuals whose members interbreed with one another.
D. The biological species concept connects the idea of a species to the process of evolution.
2. The following are isolating mechanisms that prevent fertilization and formation of zygote except ________.
A. Temporal isolation B. Hybrid breakdown C. Gametic isolation D. Ecological isolation
3. The occurrence of abrupt genetic change cause reproductive isolation between groups of individuals.
A. Allopatric speciation B. Gametic speciation C. Parapatric speciation D. Sympatric speciation
4. It occurs when populations are separated by geographic barrier.
A. Allopatric speciation B. Gametic speciation C. Parapatric speciation D. Sympatric speciation
5. It is the abrupt change in the environment over geographic border and strong disruptive selection
affects gene flow between neighboring populations.
A. Allopatric speciation B. Gametic speciation C. Parapatric speciation D. Sympatric speciation
6. Cuvier’s theory on catastrophism was his attempt to explain the existence of __________.
A. evolution B. fossil records C. uniformitarianism D. natural selection
7. Thomas Malthus’ writings influenced Charles Darwin theory of evolution. Which of the following
ideas idea that Darwin learned from the writings of Thomas Malthus?
A. Earth is more than 10,000 years old.
B. Environment is responsible for natural selection.
C. Population tends to increase at a faster rate than their food supply normally allows.
D. Technological innovation in agricultural practices will permit exponential growth of the human
population into the foreseeable future.
8. Soviet geneticists Lysenko believed that his winter wheat plant, exposed to ever-colder
temperatures, would eventually give rise to ever more cold-tolerant winter wheat. His idea supports
the idea _________.
A. Cuvier B. Darwin C. Hutton D. Lamarck
9. The following ideas are included in Darwin’s theory except one. Which one?
A. All organisms that have ever existed arose through evolutionary modification of ancestral species.
B. Great variety of species live today resulted from the diversification of ancestral species.
C. Natural section drives some evolutionary change.
D. Natural election eliminates adaptive traits.
10. All the following statements are congruent with Darwin’s theory except one. Which one?
A. All organisms have risen by descent with modification.
B. Evolution has altered and diversified ancestral species.
C. Evolution occurs in individuals rather than in groups.
D. Natural selection eliminated unsuccessful variations.
 Page 14 of 14

11. This must exists in a population before natural selection can act upon that population.
A. Variation among individuals caused by environmental factors C. Sexual reproduction
B. Genetic variation among individuals D. None of the above
12. Evolution is the change of species over time. Which of the following does not contribute to the
study of evolution?
A. Comparative morphology C. Inheritance of acquired characteristics
B. Fossil records D. Population genetics
13. Which of the following scientist developed the theory of evolution by natural selection?
A. Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace C. George Cuvier and Carolus Linnaeus
B. Charles Lyell and Thomas Malthus D. James Hutton and Jean Baptiste Lamarck
14. Thomas Malthus developed the idea that _______________.
A. nature operates to reduce variation in a population every generation.
B. the diversity of Galápagos finch species is the result of natural selection.
C. peppered moths living near English industrial cities provide a good example of evolution.
D. living things often produce far more offspring than are needed to maintain their numbers.
15. The synthetic theory of evolution was based on ___________.
A. genetic mutation B. natural selection C. population genetics D. none of the above

For Part 2, use additional long bond paper(s) for your answers.
Part 2: PERFORMANCE TASK. Perform the “Additional Activities: ACTIVITY 2.5 EVOLUTION
POEM” on page 12. Be guided by the scoring rubric below in the assessment of your
work.
Needs
Excellent Merit Achieved
Criteria improvement Score
(4pts) (3pts) (2pts)
(1pt)
Uses great words and Uses words that
Uses vivid words and
phrases that sometimes lack in variety and Uses limited
Word Choice phrases that paint a picture
paint a picture in the it is sometimes vocabulary that.
in the reader’s mind.
reader’s mind. dull and boring.
Uses 3 or more literary
Uses 3 or more literary Did not include
Literary devices and they are clearly Uses less than 3
devices but some mistakes any literary
Devices and correctly labeled and literary devices.
were made. devices
identified.
Less than 15
Length 20 or more lines 18-20 lines 15-17 lines
lines