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Evolutionary Thoughts and Mechanism of
Evolution
At the end of the lesson you should
be able to:
• Understand the development evolutionary
thought
• Describe the different mechanisms of
evolution
• Value the essence of biological change in the
community
1 2 3

4 2 3 5 1
 What is evolution?
• The modern theory of evolution is a
fundamental concept in biology
• Evolution – change in populations over time
• Charles Darwin was the first to publish his
ideas of how species evolve
 Common descent
• The scientific theory that all living organisms
on Earth descended from a common ancestor.
– The structures and functions of all living organisms are encoded in the
same basic nucleic molecules, DNA and RNA.
– Similarities in amino acid sequences between various organisms also
suggest common descent
– The fossil record also shows cases in which one plant or animal type
evolved into different types over time.
Evolutionary Thoughts
 Jean Baptiste Lamarck
• Jean Baptiste Lamarck. A
French Naturalist who has
theorized on habits or the
Principle of Use and Disuse;
he thought that organisms have
evolved to change their
characteristics to fit in their
environment through
continuous use and disuse of
their organs.
 Jean Baptiste Lamarck

• Examples are the giraffes

that have developed long
necks as they need to feed
on fruits from tall trees,
while snakes, on the other
hand, have lost their legs
as they continue to disuse
or not use their legs.
 Jean Baptiste Lamarck
• However, later researchers
showed that acquired
characteristics may not be
simply inherited or passed on
to offspring, an analogy for this
is how people who body-built
may not pass the trait of the
muscled body to their children
in that manner.
 Charles Darwin
Began his work in 1831 (age 21) as the
naturalist on the HMS Beagle
As the ship’s naturalist, it was his job to
study and collect biological specimens at
each port along the route
On the Galapagos Islands, Darwin
studied many species that were unique to
the islands, but similar to species
elsewhere. These observations led him to
consider the possibility that species can
change over time.
Ittook him 22 years to find an
explanation for how species change over
time
 Charles Darwin
• 1859 published On the Origin of Species
– his theory of natural selection to explain how
organisms evolve
– Darwin developed his ideas while sailing on the
Beagle
 Alfred Russel Wallace
• Alfred Russel Wallace. He is
a British Naturalist, had been
a friend of Darwin, and is of
great significance to the
development of evolutionary
thought because he had been a
key person to Darwin’s
Publication of the Origin of
Species.
 Alfred Russel Wallace
• As he had observed how these
butterflies differ from one
place to another, he also
arrived at the same conclusion
with Darwin even though
Wallace didn’t have an idea
that Darwin has the same
theory because Darwin chose
to keep it secret at first.
 Alfred Russel Wallace
• Wallace also thought that
species that look almost the
same differ in key
characteristics because they
have been modified through
their struggle to survive.
• Wallace wrote a journal titled
“On the Tendency of
Varieties to Depart
Indefinitely from the Original
Type”
Species Change
 The Principles of Darwin’s Theory
• Overproduction of
offspring
• Variation
• Heritability
• Reproductive Advantage
(preferential selection of
traits)
 Species Change

• Organisms that are best matched to their

environment are more likely to survive and
reproduce
• Adaptation – a trait that improves an
organism’s change for survival and
reproduction
 Adaptation
• Individual members of a single species exhibit
differences in their appearance and function
• Difference result from random changes in
genetic material from sexual reproduction and
mutations
 Natural Selection
• Organisms with traits that help them survive
and reproduce pass their characteristics to their
offspring.
• Helpful traits survive and spread through the
population
• Harmful traits disappear over time
• As a result, a population may evolve into a
new species
 Natural Selection

reproduction

Inherited traits Random mutations

Variation

Mismatch with
Adaptations environment

Survival Death; no offspring

 Populations evolve, not individuals!
• Variation exists among individuals within a
population
• An individual with variations that make them poorly
adapted to the environment will not survive and
reproduce
– Remember genotypes (genes) and phenotypes (expression
of genes)
• Evolution occurs as a population’s genes and their
frequencies change over time
 Natural Selection Acts on Variation
• Some variations increase or decrease an
organism’s chance of survival in a particular
environment
– Three types
• Stabilizing selection
• Directional selection
• Disruptive selection
 Types of Natural Selection
• Directional selection
– Occurs when individuals at one end on the frequency
distribution are better adapted to the environment than
those in the middle
• Disruptive selection
– Occurs when individuals near the upper and lower ends of
the distribution are better adapted than those in the middle
• Stabilizing selection
– Occurs when individuals near the center of the distribution
are more fit than individuals at either end
Determine the type of natural selection indicated
by the following examples.

• The spines of sea urchin population’s members vary in length.

The short-spined sea urchins are camouflaged easily on the
seafloor. However, long-spined sea urchins are well defended
against predators.

• Disruptive Selection
Determine the type of natural selection indicated
by the following examples.

• Different grass plants in a population range in length from

8cm to 28 cm. The 8-10 cm grass blades receive little
sunlight, and the 25-28 cm grass blades are eaten quickly by
grazing animals.

• Stabilizing Selection
Determine the type of natural selection indicated
by the following examples.

• Members of a population of Amazon tree frogs hop from tree to

tree searching for food in the rain forest. They vary in leg length.
Events result in massive destruction of the forest’s trees. After
several generations, only long-legged tree frogs remain alive.

• Directional Selection
 Classification of organisms
• Organisms are classified based on internal and
external characteristics
• Species – most specific unit of classification
 What is a Species?

• A population or group
of populations whose
members have the
ability to breed with
one another and
produce fertile
offspring
 The Evolution of Species
• Speciation – the process of the evolution of a
new species
– Occurs when members of similar populations no
longer interbreed and produce fertile offspring
 Evolution of Species (Speciation)

• Significant changes in the gene pool can lead to

evolution of a new species over time.
• Speciation occurs when members of similar
populations no longer interbreed to produce fertile
offspring within their natural environment.
 Why Don’t the Populations
Interbreed?
1. Geographic isolation – physical
barrier divides a population.
2. Reproductive isolation – formerly
interbreeding organisms can no
longer mate to produce offspring..
3. Change in niche -- Change in food
source. Example Finches
 Geographic Isolation
A physical barrier that separates a
population into groups.
Can be
1. Mountains or Rivers
2. Islands with water in between
Darwin’s 13 finches on Galapagos
3. Valleys caused by lava flow
4. Roads/Highways
Geographical Isolation
 Reproductive Isolation

• Prevents closely related species from

interbreeding
– Timing
– Behavior
– Habitat
 Timing
Similar species have different breeding
seasons
Eastern Spotted Western Spotted
Skunk Skunk
 Behavior
Similar species may have different
courtship or mating behaviors.

Ex: Eastern & Western meadowlarks

almost identical in color shape and
habitat, but difference in courtship rituals
differ different species
 Habitat
• Species remain reproductively isolated
because they are adapted to different
habitats.
Ex: Stickleback fish one is a bottom
feeder, one spends time in the top open
layers of lakes in British Columbia,
Canada
 Extinction
• Organisms try to survive in their environments
through adaptation, however many species
become extinct
• Extinction can occur because of environmental
changes, human interference or as a result of
failure to adapt to new conditions
 Extinction
• Extinction is a natural and important part of evolution
• It is estimated that 999 of every 1,000 species that
have ever lived on Earth have become extinct
• The average species survives between 2 and 10
million years
• Even the most highly adapted species become extinct.
 Mass Extinctions
• There have been many mass extinctions during
Earth’s history
• Mass extinction = when more than 50% of
species were wiped out
• Mass extinctions make it possible for new
species to develop
• Surviving species are able to diversify
Identifying changes in species
 Changes in genetic equilibrium
• Mutations cause genetic change
– Caused by environmental factors such as radiation,
chemicals, or can simply occur by change
• If a mutation is useful, it persists and becomes
part of the gene pool
• Lethal mutations cause death and are quickly
eliminated from the gene pool
 Mutations
• Natural Mutations occur at a regular rate.
• The number of differences between the genetic
material and different species estimates how
long ago two species share a common ancestry
 Types of Evolution
• Macroevolution: The generation of major
change in the assemblage of organisms:
speciation
• Microevolution: Changes in the gene pool
of a population that result in changes in
allele frequencies; they arise without the
influence of selection pressure
Populations evolve, not individuals
 Population Genetics
• When Charles Darwin developed his theory of natural
selection in the 1800’s, he did so without knowing
about genes
• The principles of today’s modern theory of evolution
are rooted in population genetics.
• Today we refer to the Synthetic Theory of
Evolution, which included the principled of genetics
 Genes and Populations
• Gene pool: The collection of genes in a
population

• Genotype: The genetic makeup of an individual at

a given locus, taking into account the two possible
alleles

• Phenotype: the traits of an individual

5 Factors Upset Genetic Equilibrium
1. Mutation
2. Nonrandom mating
3. Genetic Drift
4. Gene Flow
5. Natural Selection

• They cause changes in allelic frequency, and result in

microevolution
Forces that cause Evolution:
1. Gene flow: Transport of genes by migrating
individuals.
2. Nonrandom Mating: Mating based on
preferences
Example: a female may choose a mate based on
male size, color, or ability to gather food.
 Forces of Evolution

3. Mutation: Change in DNA

4. Genetic Drift: chance event changes
allelic frequencies – Greatly affect
small populations such as the
animals of the Galapagos Islands or
Amish.
 Causes of Genetic Drift
• Mating over a long time period in a
small population.
• Little movement of males or females
into or out of the population.
 Genetic Drift
• Bottleneck event: A bottleneck event is a
specific example of a situation in which
a reduction in population size results in
evolutionary change to a population.
 Genetic Drift
• Founder Effect: The founder effect describes
a situation in which a new population forms
from a small number of "founders" that
emigrate from the original population.
• In your point of view as a
senior high school STEM
student, what will be the
future human species?
Support your claim with
patterns or similarities
with the modern-day
human species.