Natural Selection

Today’s Objectives: SOL BIO.8b-d

 TSW investigate and understand how

populations change through time,
including:
– How variation of traits, reproductive
strategies, and environmental pressures
impact on the survival of populations
– Recognizing how adaptations lead to
natural selection
– How new species emerge
Charles Darwin
 On the Origin of Species
 Sailed with the HMS Beagle
 Observations made in the Galapogos
Islands
 These observations helped him form
the theory of how species change over
time called natural selection
What is Natural Selection?
 Natural selection is governed by the
principles of genetics.
Types of Adaptations
 Protective Colouring
– Camouflage
– Mimicry
 Physiological Adaptations
– Reproductive Changes
– Other changes
 Behavioral Adaptations
Evidence for Evolution
 Fossil
record
 Anatomy
– Homologous structures
– Analagous structures
 Vestigial
structures
 Embryology
 Molecular biology (DNA differences)
What is a Population?
 Populations evolve over many
generations, individuals don’t
 Populations are groups of interbreeding
individuals that live in the same place at
the same time
 Individuals in a population compete for
resources with each other
How Does Evolution Work?
 Populations produce more offspring
than the environment can support
 The unequal ability of individuals to
survive and reproduc leads to the
gradual change in a population over
many generations
Mechanism for change in a
population of organisms
 Animals who have greater fitness
survive in environment and live to
reproduce
 Random changes (mutations) can lead
to greater or less fitness
 Adaptations allow an organism to
survive better in their environment
Mutations & Variety Produced
by Sexual Reproduction Allow
for Diversity within a Population
 Genetic drift (caused by chance)
– Bottleneck
– Founder effect
 Genetic equilibrium
– Hardy-Weinberg law
– In H-W equilibrium, does not occur
Adaptations
 Canarise in response to environmental
pressures
– Temperature
– Antibiotic resistance in bacteria
– Pesticide resistance
– Morphological changes in peppered moths
Types of Selection
 Directional
– Extreme form favored by natural selection
 Stabilizing
– Middle form most successful
 Disruptive
– Two extreme forms successful in separate
environments
How are new species created?
 Geographic isolation
 Reproductive barriers
 Change in chromosome numbers
 Adaptive radiation
Types of Evolution
 Convergent evolution
– Dolphins & fishes
– Wings of bees & bats
 Divergent evolution
– Darwin’s finches
– Adaptive radiation
How fast does evolution occur?
 Gradualism
– Darwin
– Species change slowly over time
 Punctuated Equilibrium
– Gould & Lewontin
– Species can make rapid “leaps” in
evolution
 Modern Synthesis
– Parts of both are correct