Evolution and

Origins of
Biodiverity
The learners explain evidences of evolution (e.g. fossil
record, biogeography, DNA/ protein sequences, homology
and embryology (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIcg-12)
Evidence from Fossils

-Fossils are remains of ancient organisms trapped in rocks, tar

pits, frozen in ice or embedded inamber.

-They can be actual remains like bones, teeth, shells, leaves,

seeds, spores or traces of past activities such as animal
burrows, nests and dinosaur footprints or even the ripples
created on a prehistoric shore.

-The records found in the rocks show a gradual evolutionary

descent from simpler to more complex life forms.
.
Fossils

-remains of the non-degraded parts of living beings found within rocks.

-The layer from which the fossil is recovered decides the age of the fossil.
The fossils found deeper down are older compared to the ones found in the
upper layers.

-They give an idea of the condition of the earth in that specific era.
Homologous Structures:

- similar structure in different organisms but perform

different functions.
- shows a common ancestry.
- One specie/s gave rise to many other species.
- divergent evolution.
Analogous Structures:

- different anatomy but perform similar functions.

- different species evolved and adapted to a particular

environment.

- convergent evolution.
convergent evolution

-results in similar structures or functions among unrelated

organisms due to similar enviromental pressures

divergent evolution

-results in different structures or functions among related

organisms due to different environmental pressures
 VESTIGIAL STRUCTURES are structures or attributes that have
lost most of its ancestral function in more recent species.
Other vestigial structures in humans include the following:
1. Tail bone/ coccyx
2. Sinuses
3. Wisdom teeth
4. Muscle in the external ear-
5. Erector pili muscles
6. Tonsils
7. Male nipples
8. Palmar grasp reflex of infants
9. Plica semilunaris in the eyelid
EVIDENCE FROM EMBRYOLOGY

-Embryology is the study of the development of an organism from an embryo

to its adult form.
-Common structures are shared in the embryo stage and disappear by the
time the embryo reaches the juvenile or adult form.
-Vertebrates have similarities in their embryo forms such as the pharyngeal
gill slits and the post-anal tail.
In aquatic vertebrates, the gill slits become part of the gills and tails are
retained while
land vertebrates become covered with skin and some lose the tail in
adult forms.
EVALUATION ( MINS)
EVIDENCE FROM MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
-Many organisms have similar molecules of life (RNA, DNA, proteins)
that suggest descent from a common ancestor with modifications.

-The near universality of the genetic code reflects an evidence of

common ancestry and relatedness and can be inferred from the
similarities in the DNA sequences between and among organisms.

-all life on earth shares a common genetic code

-
keywords:
-homologous structures
-mutations- lead to change in structure and functions
Evidence from Biogeography

Biogeography is the study of geographical distribution of

fossils and living organisms. Organisms usually arise in areas
where similar forms already exist. Similar organisms may also
be found in different locations which could mean that the two
places were previously connected
Evidences to support that Evolution is happening in recent times
1. Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
2. Pesticide Resistance
3. Variation in the Beaks of Finches
4. Industrial Melanism in Peppered Moth
5. Domestication of Dogs
6. Cultivation of Crops
Antibiotic resistance

Bacteria can evolve quickly because they reproduce at a fast

rate. Mutations in the DNA of bacteria can produce new
characteristics. A random mutation might cause some bacteria
to become resistant to certain antibiotics, such as penicillin.
Antibiotics usually kill bacteria, but in this case the mutation
means the bacteria cannot be destroyed by the antibiotic. This
evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an example of
natural selection leading to evolution.
 Development of antibiotic resistance

Development of
antibiotic
resistance
bacteria can
evolve quickly
because they
reproduce at a
fast rate.
Main steps in the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria are:

1. A random mutation occurs in the DNA of individual bacterial cells.

2. The mutation protects the bacterial cell from the effects of the
antibiotic - it becomes antibiotic resistant.
3. Bacteria without the mutation die when the antibiotic is present
4. Antibiotic resistant bacteria survive and can reproduce with less
competition from non-resistant bacterial strains.
5. The genes for antibiotic resistance are passed to the offspring.
6. Over time the whole population of bacteria becomes antibiotic
resistant because the antibiotic resistant bacteria are best suited to
their environment.
 Pesticide Resistance

Rules of evolution: the best-adapted survive. Every time chemicals

are sprayed on a lawn to kill weeds or ants for example, a few
naturally resistant members of the targeted population survive
and create a new generation of pests that are poison-resistant.
That generation breeds another more-resistant generation;
eventually, the pesticide may be rendered ineffective or even kill
other wildlife or the very grass it was designed to protect.
In many ways, human actions are hastening pests' evolution of
resistance. Farmers spray higher doses of pesticide if the
traditional dose doesn't kill, so genetic mechanisms that
enable the pests to survive the stronger doses rapidly become
widespread as the offspring of resistant individuals come to
dominate the population.
Domestication of Dogs
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