BIOL 101 CHapter 19: Introduction to Evolution

what is a scientific theory

a well substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural worls

scientific law

explains why or how of an observed phenomenon

who intorduced the theory of evolution

charles darwin

what is evolution

the change in the characteristics of a species over many generations and relies on the process of natural selection

what are the four parts of Darwin’s RTheory of evolution

1. organisms have changed over time, and the ones living today are different from those that lived in the past

2. change is gradual and slow

3. all organisms come from common ancestors by a process of branching

4. the mechanisms of evolutionary change is natural selection

orthodoxy

spcies were deigned by God and the ible was the literal truth

spontansous generation

aristotle: the hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from non-living matter

Francesco Redi: refuted the idea

Louis Pasteur: disproved the theory of spontaneous generation

transmutation

the change of one species into another

theory of use and disuse

if a animal wanted to reach the top branch or something, their necks kept strecthing until the got there

charles darwin

noticed geographic variation in similar species

and rejected orthodoxy because it did nto explain adaptation

struggle to survive

natural selection

what was Darwins hypotheisi

present day species are the descendents of ancient ancestors that they still resemble

fossils

the imprints or remains of organisms

documents between past and present organisms

homology

similarity arising from common ancestry

includes gene sequences

what did darwin hypothesize

all life forms are related

DNA and RNA

polygenic tree

what are some homologies that provide strong evidence for evolution

all embryos have a tail, throat pouches

vestigal structues

vestigal structues

leftover structure that served important functions in the organisms ancestros that may not be as useful today

appindex, wisdom teeth, tonsils

key points of evolution by natural selection

indiviudals do not evolve

Natural selection can amplify or diminish only heritable traits

evolution is not goal oriented so it does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms

its an editing process than a creative mechanism

traits that fit the current local enviornment are favored

pesticide resistence

those that suvive or mutated to survive pesticides breed and reproduce the next generation