Transcript Document

Evolution
Controversial?
Why not Creationism as well?
What is evolution?
Did most scientists initially support this idea?
Lamarkian Interpretation?
1750: Creationism- “God creates, Linnaeus arranges”
1798: Malthus - population dynamics
1800: Catastrophism - Cuvier ; fossils were relics or impressions of the
past, the earth has had a succession of flora & fauna but no change has
occurred
1809: Evolution - Lamarck; theory of acquired characteristics
1833: Lyle - geology indicates earth is much older than 2K
1859: Evolution - Darwin; Descent with modification
Charles Darwin
•Naturalist HMS beagle - 1831
•Observations, identification,
Specimen collecting, drawings
•Significant data revealing species
diversity
1859 - On The Origin of Species
By Means Of Natural Selection
1. Organisms produce more individuals than can
survive
2. No two individuals are exactly alike
3. The best adapted survives
4. Survivors reproduce and pass traits on to future
generations
5. Descent with modification
movie
Darwinian Interpretation?
Evidence of Evolution
Fossils - transitional forms
Homologous organs
Artificial Selection in Domesticated Species
Embryological Similarities
Geographical Distribution - deer family
DNA comparison
Existence of Vestigial Organs - evidence of what was once present
Change within a species a gradual process? (Gradulalism vs Punctuated Equilibrium)
How might an evolutionary biologist determine if a species is evolving?
Changes in allele frequencies!
A population not evolving would reveal Genetic Equilibrium. Which
means? What conditions would be required to maintain genetic equilibrium?
(Large population & random mating - no mutation - no change in environment No immigration and no emigration)
Factors that promote changes in allelic frequencies?
1- Natural
Selection
What if new
environmental
conditions are
presented?
Industrial Melanism
Genetic Drift - dramatic shift in frequency as a result of timing not bad genes
2 - Bottleneck Effect
Population size
dramatically reduced
by:
•Natural disaster
•Disease
•Excessive hunting
Leaving a small
surviving population
with gene frequencies
nothing like ancestral
population
3 - Founder effect
A small number of
individuals leaves the
ancestral population and
establishes a new population
in another area. The new
population has allele
frequencies much different
from ancestral population
4 - Gene Flow
Genes move into or leave a population as a result of migration.
5 - Mutation / Natural Recombination & Natural Selection
Formation of new genetic code or combinations of
genetic code can lead to natural selecting forces
causing a significant change in allelic frequencies
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National Geographic
March 2006
Moving into new environments promoted combinations of genes that increased chances of survival (adaptation)
Skin color, eye shape, body size, location of fat deposition, and behavior are some of the more obvious
differences observed in the different races of people. While 99.9% of all human DNA is identical, small
differences (“markers”) have revealed the migratory route of primitive humans. Mitochondrial DNA and the Y
chromosome along with key fossil finds confirm the paths and approximate times they occurred.
Human Evolution
(Homo sapiens)
Genetic Markers reveal lineage
Mutations in mitochondrial DNA and
the Y chromosome happen once in a
great while (every 1000 - 10,000 years)
All offspring from mutant will carry
the same mutation.
Up to three million men living around the
world today could be descended from a
fifth-century Irish king, according to a new
study.
Are humans likely to form additional
Subspecies? New species?
Homo floresiensis
More on Human Genetic Markers
Becoming Human - awesome website
Changes in gene frequencies indicates an evolving population.
Microevolution - selecting forces can have one of three effects on phenotypes in a population
Macroevolution - changes in frequencies extended over a great deal
of time may lead to the development of new species
New selecting forces supports speciation - Adaptive Radiation
An expanding population moving into environments that have a different
combination of selecting forces can lead to the origin of new species
Isolation enhances speciation
Geographical Isolation - isolation evident in islands promotes significant speciation
Marsupials in Australia, Komodo dragon, marine iguana Galapagos
Can these be geographical barriers
•Mountain Range
•Canyon
•River
•Freeway
Behavioral Isolation courtship rituals, nesting preferences,
territoriality can all prevent two genetically
compatible species from breeding allowing
additional change to take place over time
Temporal Isolation - timing is
everything. Breeding at different times of the
year can prevent species from sharing a
common gene pool.
Reproductive Isolation - pre & post zygotic
Even though breeding
may occur, producing a
viable, fertile offspring
may not be possible.