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Mechanism of evolution

The document outlines the mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, artificial selection, gene flow, genetic drift, non-random mating, mutation, and recombination. Each mechanism is defined and illustrated with real-life examples, demonstrating how they contribute to genetic changes in populations. Key questions are posed to reflect on the concepts and their implications in evolutionary biology.

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5 views

Mechanism of evolution

The document outlines the mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, artificial selection, gene flow, genetic drift, non-random mating, mutation, and recombination. Each mechanism is defined and illustrated with real-life examples, demonstrating how they contribute to genetic changes in populations. Key questions are posed to reflect on the concepts and their implications in evolutionary biology.

Uploaded by

poala.ligason
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MECHANISM OF EVOLUTION

Evolutionary Processes and Genetic Changes

1. Natural Selection

● Definition: The process by which organisms with traits that improve survival and reproduction
are more likely to pass on those traits.
● Key Concept: Individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce,
leading to an increase in those traits in the population over time.
● Real-Life Example: Bats with longer claws in the Philippines are more successful at clinging to
rocks, increasing their survival rate and fitness.

2. Artificial Selection

● Definition: Humans selectively breed plants or animals for desired traits.


● Key Concept: Humans control the reproduction of organisms, influencing their genetic makeup
to emphasize traits like size, appearance, or temperament.
● Real-Life Example: Dog breeds like herding dogs or companion dogs are selectively bred for
specific tasks or traits, like intelligence or temperament.

3. Gene Flow (Migration)

● Definition: The movement of genes between different populations due to migration.


● Key Concept: When individuals from one population move to another, they bring new alleles,
making the two populations genetically more similar.
● Real-Life Example: Deer migration between national parks, leading to genetic mixing with
local deer populations.

4. Genetic Drift

● Definition: The random change in allele frequencies in a population over time.


● Key Concept: Genetic drift has a stronger effect on small populations and can lead to the loss of
genetic diversity.
● Subtopics:
○ Bottleneck Effect: A dramatic reduction in population size leads to a loss of genetic
diversity.
■ Example: A natural disaster wiping out most of a cheetah population, leading
to reduced genetic variation.
○ Founder Effect: A small group of individuals forms a new population, leading to
different allele frequencies in the new population.
■ Example: Pangolins relocated to a new pasture, establishing a genetically
different population.

5. Non-Random Mating

● Definition: Mate selection is influenced by traits, leading to changes in genotype frequencies.


● Key Concept: Individuals tend to choose mates based on preferred traits, either similar (positive
assortative mating) or different (negative assortative mating).
● Real-Life Example: Male birds with vibrant colors are often chosen by females for mating,
impacting the offspring's genetic traits.

6. Mutation

● Definition: A change in DNA that can be passed on to offspring, introducing new genetic
variation.
● Key Concept: Mutations occur randomly, and those with beneficial effects can contribute to
evolutionary changes over time.
● Real-Life Example: A male pig undergoes a mutation during meiosis, leading to a spotted coat
that may be passed on to future generations.

7. Recombination

● Definition: The process by which portions of DNA are mixed during reproduction, creating new
genetic combinations.
● Key Concept: Recombination increases genetic diversity by producing offspring with unique
allele combinations.
● Real-Life Example: Farmers derive different vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and
cabbage from the wild mustard plant through selective breeding, showcasing recombination of
traits.

Key Questions to Reflect On:


1. What is Natural Selection?
○ Natural selection is the process by which advantageous traits increase in a population due
to better survival and reproduction rates.
2. What is Artificial Selection?
○ Artificial selection is the process of humans selectively breeding organisms for specific
traits, such as dog breeds for various tasks.
3. What is Gene Flow?
○ Gene flow is the movement of alleles between populations due to migration, making
populations genetically more similar.
4. What is Genetic Drift?
○ Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies, especially in smaller
populations, and includes both the bottleneck and founder effects.
5. What is Non-Random Mating?
○ Non-random mating occurs when individuals select mates based on specific traits,
influencing the genetic makeup of the population.
6. What is Mutation?
○ Mutation is a random change in DNA, contributing new genetic variation that may
influence evolutionary outcomes.
7. What is Recombination?
○ Recombination is the reshuffling of genetic material during reproduction, resulting in
new allele combinations in offspring.

MUST REVIEW!!!

1. The Sierra Madre Steere's Pitta birds with yellow colors seek out one another to make babies
together and tend to avoid the green Steere's Pitta birds.

● Mechanism: Non-Random Mating (Mate Choice)


● Explanation: The yellow-colored Steere's Pitta birds prefer to mate with other yellow-colored
individuals, avoiding the green-colored birds. This leads to a greater frequency of yellow-colored
traits in the population.

2. During meiosis (sperm formation), a developing male pig had a change in his DNA that resulted
in his coat becoming spotted.

● Mechanism: Mutation
● Explanation: A mutation during meiosis (sperm formation) causes a male pig’s coat to become
spotted. Mutations are random changes in DNA that can introduce new traits into a population.

3. Five hundred years after deer had established a flourishing population in a national park, some
of them venture back to their original woods and mate and have offspring with the deer there.

● Mechanism: Gene Flow (Migration)

4. 7 pangolins were taken from Palawan after a rancher purchased them and provided them with
their own pasture. Those 7 pangolins eventually reproduced to have 122 offspring.
● Mechanism: Founder Effect (Genetic Drift)

5. Bats are common in the Philippines, especially in rocky regions. Bats with longer hang claws
have demonstrated higher fitness because of their ability to cling to rock while resting.

● Mechanism: Natural Selection

6. A few deer wander out of their native woods into a completely new park where no deer had ever
been before. They go on to create an entirely new population.

● Mechanism: Founder Effect (Genetic Drift)

7. Farmers derived broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage from the wild mustard plant.

● Mechanism: Artificial Selection

8. Method by which portions of DNA are broken and reconstructed to provide new mixtures of
alleles that account for individual differences.

● Mechanism: Genetic Recombination

9. Logan was born with unique abilities for quick healing and awesome claws that stick out of his
fingers.

● Mechanism: Mutation and Natural Selection

10. There was once a large population of cheetahs, but about 12,000 years ago most of the cheetahs
were killed off because of human activity and only a few survived.

● Mechanism: Genetic Drift (Bottleneck Effect)

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