Chp 18 Darwinian Evolution

Population

Group of one species living in the same space at the same time

Species

Similar organisms hat can interbreed

Microevolution

Minor changes in a population made over few generations, affect alleles

Macroevolution

Major evolutionary events

Agriculture

Evolution of pesticide resistance in pests and insects

Medicine

Evolution of disease

Conservation managment

Using evolutionary principles of population genetics for rare and endangered species

Bioremediation

Evolution of micro-organisms in polluted soils for clean up

Aristotle

organisms moving toward a more perfect state

Leonardo da Vinci

Fossils remains of extinct animals

Lamarck

Inherit acquired traits

Charles Lyell

Earth developed slowly over a long period of time, earth is millions of years old

Thomas Malthus

strong checks on human populations (famine, war, disease)

Adaptations

Evolutionary modifications that improve the chances of survival and reproductive success in a given environment

Biodiversity

The variety of living organisms and the ecosystem in which they belong

Systematics

The scientific study of the diversity of organisms and their evolutionary relationship

Allopatric speciation

A population forms a new species while geographically isolated from its parent population

Sympatric speciation

A subset of a population forms a new species without geographic separation

Phylogenetics (Cladistics)

The study of evolutionary relationships (morphology or genetics)

Taxonomy

The science of naming, classifying, and identifying living things

Cladistics

Arranging organisms into groups based on similarities that reflect evolutionary relationships lineages

Artificial Selection

Breeding only individuals that exhibit desired traits (i.e. cabbage, brussels sprouts, and dogs)

Natural Selection

Better adapted organisms are more likely to survive and become the parents of the next generation (increases frequency of favorable traits)

Alfred Russel Wallace

British naturalist who arrived at the same conclusion as Darwin at the same time (Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection)

Variation

Some traits improve an individual’s chances of survival and reproduction, some do not (necessary for evolution)

Overproduction

In every generation each species has to capacity to produce more offspring than can survive

Limits on population growth

Organisms compete with one another for limited resources

Differential Reproductive Success

Individuals with the most favorable combination of characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce

Modern Synthesis

A unified explanation of evolution based on combining previous scientific theories

Mutation

changes in DNA, nucleotide substitution