The Science of Biology Chapter11.pptVIP

Evolution and Natural Selection Chapter 11 Outline Gene Variation Pace of Evolution Fossil Record Molecular Record Anatomical Record Hardy-Weinberg Forms of Selection Industrial Melanism Species Formation Gene Variation Macroevolution - Evolutionary change on a grand scale, encompassing novel designs, evolutionary trends and episodic mass extinction. Microevolution - Differential survival and reproduction due to natural selection. Gradually alters population to include more individuals with advantageous characteristics. Gene Variation Darwin’s explanation of evolution: Adaptation by natural selection is responsible for evolutionary changes within a species(microevolution), and accumulation of these changes leads to development of new species (macroevolution). Pace of Evolution Punctuated Equilibria Proposed by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldridge. Evolution normally proceeds in spurts, with long periods of little movement in between. Contrasted to the theory of gradual evolutionary change (gradualism). Fossil Record Fossils are preserved traces of once-living organisms created when organisms become buried in sediment and calcium in hard surfaces mineralizes. Often provide evidence of successive evolution. Molecular Record Evolutionary theory allows evolutionary change involves substitution of new versions of old genes. New alleles arise by mutation and come to predominate through favorable selection. Molecular Clocks The longer the time since divergence, the greater the number of differences in nucleotide sequence of cytochrome C. Changes accumulate at constant rate. Molecular Clock of Cytochrome C Molecular Record Phylogenetic Trees Evolutionary history of a gene can be mapped as a phylogenetic tree. Anatomical Record Homologous Structures - Structure and function have diverged between body parts of different animals, but are derived from same part present in a common ancestor. Forelimbs of Vertebrates Analogous Structures - Features resemble each other as a resul