Chapter – 7 Evolution

 Evolution simply means an orderly change from one condition to another.

 Evolution is a slow but continuous process which never stops.
 Big-bang Theory
 This theory was proposed by Abbe Lemaitre in 1931.
 According to this theory about 20 billion years ago, cosmic matter was in a condensed form.
 A fiery explosion took place which broke the condensed matter and scattered its fragments into
space at an enormous velocity making a “big bang” sound thus the theory came to known as big
bang theory.
 Immediately after the explosion, the universe expanded rapidly from a size of a pin to about 2,000
times the size of the sun.
 In solar system of Milky Way galaxies, Earth has been supposed to be formed about 4.5 billion years
ago.
 There was no atmosphere in early earth. Water vapour, Methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia
released from molten mass covered the earth surface.
 UV rays from sun splits the water into hydrogen and oxygen.
 Lighter H₂ escaped.
 O₂ combined with ammonia and methane to form water, CO₂ and others.
 Ozone layers are formed. As it cooled, the water vapour fall as rain, to fill all the depression and form
oceans.
 Life appeared 500 million years, after the formation of earth.

 Miller experiment of origin of life.

 S.L. Miller in 1953 conducted an experiment to show, how origin of life on earth for that he created
similar condition of temperature and pressure in laboratory scale.
 He created electric discharge in a flask containing CH₄, NH₃ and H₂ (ration 2:1:2) and water vapour at
800 .
 He observed formation of amino acid (alanine, glycine
and aspartic aicd) in flask after 15 days of electric
discharge.
 Similar experiment by other scientist found formation
of sugars, nitrogen bases, pigments and fats.
 The experimental evidence about the origin of life is
called Chemical evolution of life.

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 Evidence of evolution
 Evidence that evolution of life forms has taken place on earth have many proofs as mentioned
below:-
 Paleontological evidence
 The study of fossils is known as palaeontology.
 Homologous organ
 Those organs that perform different function but have similar origin and structure are called
homologous organs.
 For example-Forelimb of human, cheetah, whales, bats
 In these animals similar structure developed along different directions due to adaptation of different
needs. This is called Divergent evolution.
Forelimbs of mammals
Animals Man Cheetah Whale Bat
Appearance Hand Foot flipper wings
Function Holding Running Swimming Flying

 Analogous organ-
 Those organs that perform similar function but have different origin and structure are called
Analogous organs.
 This is due to similar habitat that resulted in similar adaptive features in different group of organisms.
This that of evolution is called convergent evolution.
 For example-
 Eyes of mammals and octopus
 Flippers of penguin(bird) and
dolphins(mammals).
 Potato (stem modification) and Sweet
potato (root modification).
 Sting of bee and scorpion.
 Wings of birds and insects.

 Evolution of anthropogenic action

 Activities that produced by humans are called anthropogenic actions.
 Evolution by natural selection- Industrial melanism.
 Based on observation of moth population in England.
 Before industrialization (1850s)
 There were more white winged moths on trees than dark winged or melanised moths.
 Reason:- there was white coloured lichen covered the tree. In the background, the white winged
moths survived but the dark coloured moths were picked out by predators.
 After industrialization (1920s)
 More dark winged moths and less white winged moths.

By Sunil Sir 7004918039, Lecturer of Gita Science Inter College Page 2

  Reason: The tree trunks became dark due to industrial smoke and soot. No growth of likens.
Under this condition the white winged moth did not survive because the predators identified them
easily. Dark winged moth survived because of suitable dark background.

 Adaptive Radiation
 The process of evolution of different species in given geographical area starting from a point and
radiation to other areas of geography (habitat) is called adaptive radiation.
 Darwin’s finches
 Darwin visited to Galapagos island by ship H.M.S Beagle. Galapagos Island consists of many
endemic plant and animal species.
 He observed small black coloured birds. He realised that there were many varities of finches on
same island.
 All varieties evolved and radiated by a single ancestral seed-eating ground finch.
 Essence is ancestral seed eating ground finch radiated to different geographical area (habitat) and
underwent profound adaptive changes and especially in beak pattern.

 Australian marsupials –
A number of marsupials, each with different
from other evolved from one ancestral stock,
but all within Australian island continents.

 Placental mammals
 In Australia, placental mammals also exhibit
adaptive radiation in evolving into varieties of
such placental mammals. (e.g., Placental wolf
and Tasmanian wolf-marsupial)

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 Biological Evolution
 Lamarckism
 First theory of evolution was proposed by Jean Baptiste de lemarck (1744 – 1829).
 Book – Philosophie Zoologique (1809).
 Basic concept of Lamarckism
(i) Internal Vital forces:- By the presence of these forces organism have the tendency to increase
the size of their organs or entire body.
(ii) Effect of environment and new needs:- Change in environment gives rise to new needs. New
needs or desire produce new structures and change habits of the organism.
(iii) Use and disuse or organs:- If an organ is constantly used, it would be better developed,
whereas disuse or organ result in its degeneration.
(iv) Inheritance of acquired character:-
 During the life time of organism new characters develop due to internal vital forces, effect
of environment, new needs and use and disuse of organs.
 These acquired characters are inherited from one generation to another.
Examples in support of Lamarckism
 Long neck and high forelimb of giraffe.
 Aquatic birds stretched their toes and developed web.
 Snakes lost their limbs.
 Deers become good runners by the development of strong limbs and streamlined body.
 Darwinism
 Branching descent and natural selection are the two key concepts of Darwinian Theory of
Evolution.
 “Darwinism” or” The Theory of Natural Selection” was proposed jointly by Charles Darwin and
A.R. Wallace.
 Darwin theory of natural selection was based on certain observation like-
 Limited natural resources.
 Over population.
 Competition for resources.
 Struggle for existence.
 Survival of the fittest.

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  Mechanism of Evolution
 Hugo de Vries based on his work on evening primrose brought forth the idea of mutation.
 Mutations are random and directionless while Darwin variations are small and directional.
 Hugo de Vries believed that mutation causes speciation and hence called Saltation (Single step
large mutation).
 Hardy-Weinberg Principle
 This principle states that allele frequencies in a population are stable and is constant from
generation to generation.
 Binomial expansion of = + 2pq + = 1 where p and q represent the frequency of
allele A and a in a population.
 The factor that affect Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are-
 Gene migration or gene flow
 Genetic drift
 Mutation
 Genetic recombination
 Natural selection.
 Origin and Evolution of Man
(i) Dryopithecus
 Arose about 15 mya.
 More ape-like, hairy and walked like Chimpanzee and Gorilla.
 It is considered as common ancestor of man and apes.
(ii) Ramapithecus
 Arose about 15 mya, walked like apes.
 It was more man-like hence called oldest human ancestor and direct line towards human
evolution.
They were probably not taller than 4 feet but walked up right.

(iii) Australopithecus
 They were man-like primates walked in East African grassland about 2 mya.
 They hunted with stone weapons but essentially ate fruit.
(iv) Homo habilis
 It was first human-like with 650-800 cc brain capacity.
 Fist tool maker but they probably did not eat meat.
(v) Homo erectus
 Arose about 1.5 mya with cranial capacity 900cc (java ape man).
 Use fire and probably eat meat.
(vi) Neanderthal Man
 Arose about 1,00,000 – 40,000 year back, near east and central Asia.
 Cranial capacity – 1400cc.
 Used hides to protect their domestic animals and themselves.
(vii) Homo sapiens
 Arose during ice age between 75,000 – 10,000 year back near the Caspian Sea.
Cromagnon man (Homo sapiens fossils)
Homo sapiens
Present man (Homo sapiens sapiens)

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