Biological Change

Natural Selection and the Evidence for

Evolution
 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.
 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 rout
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
 Adaptations: Evidence for
Evolution
• Structural adaptations arise over time
– Mimicry – where one species resembles another
species
– Camouflage – where a species blends with their
surroundings
• Physiological adaptations arise over time
– Antibiotic resistance of bacteria
 Other Evidence for Evolution
• Fossils
• Anatomy
– Homologous structures – structures that are similar in
anatomy but have different function
• Common evolutionary origin
– Analogous structures – body parts similar in function but
have different structure
• No common evolutionary origin
– Vestigial structures – body structure that has no function in
present-day organisms but was probably useful to an ancestor
• Biochemistry
– DNA, RNA
More Evidence for Evolution
• Embryology
As development
continues from
embryo to a more
mature organism, the
differences increase,
however, in the
earliest stages of
growth and
development, many
vertebrate embryos are
remarkably similar
Biological Change

Species Change
 Principles of Darwin’s Theory of
Natural Selection
• Variation
• Heritability
• Overproduction
• Reproductive Advantage
 Remember…
The Principles of Darwin’s Theory
• Overproduction of
offspring
• Variation
• Heritabiltiy
• 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
 Question
• A population of woodpeckers have beak lengths ranging from
2cm-4cm. The woodpeckers with 3 cm beaks are able to reach
more insects in the trees in which they feed.
Explain the following:

A.Is longer beak length an advantageous adaptation?

B. How would you expect the population of woodpeckers to
evolve after a very long period of time?
C. What type of selection would this be an example of?
Explain your answer.
 Classification of organisms
• Organisms are classified based on internal and
external characteristics
• Species – most specific unit of classification
 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
 Evolutionary History
• Phylogeny describes the evolutionary history of a
related group of species
• All organisms on Earth evolved from a single
ancestor
• Life on earth began about 3.5 billion years ago; since
that time, new species have emerged, lived and died
out
• New species evolve from pre-existing species
 Fossil Evidence
• Through fossil evidence, physical and
molecular similarities between ancient species
and modern species have been found.
• Physical and molecular similarities between
diverse species has also been found.
Phylogeny of Humans
Phylogeny of Humans
 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 Cont.
• 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