BIO F111:

Evolution and Environment

Reference: Ch 12, 13 of RB1 plus class
ppt slides
 Genetic Variation and Evolution

Genetic variation

Differences in alleles of genes

found within individuals in a
population

Raw material for natural selection

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 Evolution

How an entity changes through time

Development of modern concept

traced to Darwin

Descent with modification

 Through time, species accumulate
differences; as a result, descendants
differ from their ancestors. In this way,
new species arise from existing ones.
Charles Darwin

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 Darwin was not the first to propose a
theory of evolution

Unlike his predecessors, however,

Darwin proposed natural selection as
the mechanism of evolution

Rival theory of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

was evolution by inheritance of acquired
characteristics
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 How does genetic diversity arise within a
population?
 Agents of evolutionary change

Mutation
Rates generally low
Other evolutionary
processes usually
more important in
changing allele
frequency
Ultimate source of
genetic variation
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 Gene flow or
Migration

Movement of
alleles from one
population to
another

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 Sexual Reproduction:

Does it create new alleles?

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 Genetic drift

In small populations,
allele frequency may
change by chance
alone (not selection)
Magnitude of genetic
drift is negatively
related to population
size
Founder effect
Bottleneck effect 12
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 Genetic drift can lead to the loss of alleles in
isolated populations
Alleles that initially are uncommon are
particularly vulnerable 14
 Northern Elephant Seal
Bottleneck case study
Nearly hunted to extinction (for fat) in 19th century
Protection measures
Species has regained nos.
but lost almost all of its genetic variation 15
 Diversity matters!
 Selection
Some individuals (more successful
ones?) leave behind more progeny
than others

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 Result of evolution driven by natural
selection is that populations become
better adapted to their environment

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 Pocket mice come in different colors
Population living on rocks
dark color
Populations living on sand
light color 20
 Fitness (w.r.t. survival & reproduction)
Individuals with one phenotype leave
more surviving offspring in the next
generation than individuals with an
alternative phenotype

Relative concept
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 Attention

Extra tutorial class today

(15.11.2016) at 5 PM
for
Section 19 (Jitendra Panwar): Room No. 3253

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 There is little evidence that competition
has been the (sole) driving force in the
evolution/diversification of organisms
Human microbiome: A perfect
example of cooperation
 Ultimately, what drives life?
 Trophic Levels and Food Chains
The flow of energy through living things on earth
begins with the sun.

Energy flows through organisms as they use the

energy from the sun and as they eat each other.

Each stage of energy flow is called a trophic

level.

The sequence of organisms eating each other is

called a food chain.15-32
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15-34
A Summary of Trophic Levels

15-35
 Energy and Trophic Levels

Copyright The McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc. Permission
15-36
required for reproduction or
display.
 Law of 10 per cent

Copyright The McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc. Permission
15-37
required for reproduction or
display.
Energy Losses in an Herbivore

15-38
 The Energy Pyramid and Human
Nutrition
Human demand (or desire?) for food is so
large that humans often occupy several
trophic levels to meet the need.

Eating at the third trophic level (eating

meat) results in a 99% loss of energy.
Human Pyramids of Biomass

15-40
 Eating at the second trophic level
(eating plants) allows for a more
efficient transfer of energy.

Eating plants means more food for

more people.
 Find this out yourself
Differences between population,
community and ecosystem.