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EvolutionandNaturalSelection (1)

The document discusses Charles Darwin's research on evolution and natural selection, emphasizing his observations on biogeography and the diversification of species, particularly finches in the Galapagos Islands. It explains the process of natural selection, which favors heritable traits that enhance survival and reproduction, leading to evolutionary changes over generations. The document also contrasts natural selection with artificial selection, highlighting the role of humans in selecting desirable traits in domesticated species.

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Aghasthya Raavi
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8 views

EvolutionandNaturalSelection (1)

The document discusses Charles Darwin's research on evolution and natural selection, emphasizing his observations on biogeography and the diversification of species, particularly finches in the Galapagos Islands. It explains the process of natural selection, which favors heritable traits that enhance survival and reproduction, leading to evolutionary changes over generations. The document also contrasts natural selection with artificial selection, highlighting the role of humans in selecting desirable traits in domesticated species.

Uploaded by

Aghasthya Raavi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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© Getting Down with Science

“It may be said that natural selection is daily and hourly


scrutinizing, throughout the world, every variation, even
the slightest; rejecting that which is bad, preserving and
adding up all that is good; silently and insensibly working,
whenever and wherever opportunity offers, at the
improvement of each organic being in
relation to its organic and inorganic
conditions of life. We see nothing of these
slow changes in progress, until the hand of
time has marked the long lapse of ages,
and then so imperfect is our view into long
past geological ages, that we only see that
the forms of life are now different from what
they formerly were.”
-- Charles Darwin On the Origin of Species
© Getting Down with Science
Charles Darwin
● English naturalist
● Most notable research was done at the
Galapagos Islands

© Getting Down with Science


Charles Darwin’s Research
● Darwin was interested in biogeography
○ The geographic distribution of species
● Darwin’s hypothesis:
○ Organisms left South
America and colonized
the Galapagos Islands
where they then
diversified and gave rise
to new species
○ Darwin was specifically
interested in finches
© Getting Down with Science
Evolution
During his studies, Darwin proposed the idea of
descent with modification, which is now our modern
definition of evolution

© Getting Down with Science


Evolution
Evolution: change in the genetic makeup of a
population over time; descent with modification
● Heritable traits change from generation to
generation
○ To explain the pattern of descent with
modification (evolution) he observed, Darwin
proposed the idea of natural selection

© Getting Down with Science


Natural Selection
● Natural selection: A process in which individuals that
have certain traits tend to survive and reproduce at
higher rates than other individuals because of those
traits
○ Natural selection acts on phenotypic variations in
populations
■ Some phenotypes will increase or decrease an
organism’s fitness (ability to survive and
reproduce)
● Measured by reproductive success
■ Environments can change, causing selective
pressures to populations
© Getting Down with Science
Natural Selection
The theory of natural selection is based on two main
observations that Darwin made:
1. Traits are heritable
2. More offspring are produced than can survive
3. Genetic Variety
4. Selection

1) Continued selection over generations

© Getting Down with Science


Natural Selection
1. Traits are heritable
● Characteristics can be passed from parent to
offspring
● Adaptations: inherited characteristics of organisms
that enhance their survival and reproduction

© Getting Down with Science


Natural Selection
2. More offspring are produced than can survive
● This leads to competition for limited resources,
which results in differential survival
● The traits that lead to survival (“favorable”
traits) will accumulate in the population
● Populations evolve, NOT individuals

© Getting Down with Science


Darwin’s natural
selection
● 3. genetic variety (everyone has different
traits)
● Must be genetic
(so traits passed to offspring)
● Review: How generate genetic variety?
● Mutations

© Getting Down with Science


Darwin’s natural selection
● 4. Result (short-term): individuals are selected
for and against

● Evolutionary fitness = how many offspring are


produced

● Organisms with beneficial traits produce


more offspring than others

● Result (long-term): over many generations,


population changes
© Getting Down with Science
Artificial Selection
● At the time, Darwin was worried about other
scientists supporting his work. So he compelled
them by comparing natural selection to artificial
selection
○ Artificial selection: the selective breeding of
domesticated plants and animals to encourage
the occurrence of desirable traits

© Getting Down with Science


Natural vs Artificial Selection
Natural Selection Artificial Selection
● Nature “selects” ● Humans select
traits that are better traits that are
suited for survival desirable
and reproduction ● Domestication of
plants and animals

Note: Both can lead to evolutionary change in the


organism, but natural selection occurs in nature
without the influence of humans

© Getting Down with Science


Practice Problem
A population of pacas, a nocturnal rodent, live in South
America. Their diet consists of leaves, flowers, and
fruits that have fallen from taller trees. A recent fire has
wiped out much of the food that the pacas eat. This has
caused the pacas to lose body mass. Due to the lack of
food, subsequent generations of pacas are thinner than
the preceding generations.
Identify if this is an example of
descent with modification and
justify your response.

© Getting Down with Science

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