Darwin & Natural Selection Lecture Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on Darwin and Natural Selection, including historical context, key figures, mechanisms, examples, and societal impacts.

Evolutionary theory

Underlies almost all aspects of Biological Anthropology, including Comparative Anatomy, Human Biology, and Primatology, explaining why different groups have different characteristics.

Systema Naturae

A work from 1735 by Linnaeus, known for its classification system of living organisms.

Biological Species Concept

A concept relating to the definition of a species, formulated in 1686.

Principles of Geology

A work from 1830 by Lyell, which demonstrated 'deep time' in Earth's history and noted the existence of fossil organisms.

Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics

A theory proposed by Lamarck in 1809, suggesting that traits acquired during an organism's lifetime could be passed on to offspring.

Fixity of Species

The traditional belief that species were created as they are and have not changed over time, implying Earth was only 6,000 years old.

Taxonomy

A system for classifying and naming organisms, exemplified by Linnaeus's work.

Deep time

The concept, demonstrated by geologists like Lyell, that the Earth's history extends over a vast period, far exceeding the traditional 6,000 years.

Catastrophism

A theory proposed by Cuvier to explain the existence of fossils, suggesting that Earth's geological features and the extinction of species were caused by sudden, catastrophic events.

Leclerc

A naturalist who recognized species-environment interaction, helping to call the fixity of species into question.

Saint-Hilare

A naturalist associated with the concept of homology, which questions the fixity of species.

Homology

Similarities in structure between different species, suggesting a common ancestor, an idea championed by Saint-Hilare.

Artificial selection

The process by which humans intentionally breed animals or plants for specific desirable traits; also known as selective breeding.

Thomas Malthus

Authored 'An Essay on the Principle of Population' (1798), arguing that limited resources lead to competition for survival, influencing Darwin, Wallace, and Lamarck.

Lamarckian evolution

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory (Zoological Philosophy, 1809) stating that natural processes produce radical changes in living organisms through the 'Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics'.

Vitalism

A philosophical doctrine associated with Lamarck, suggesting that living organisms possess a non-physical principle or energy that differentiates them from inanimate objects.

Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

Developed independently by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace, proposing that species change over generations due to individuals with favorable traits being more likely to survive and reproduce.

Charles Darwin

An English naturalist who, along with Alfred Russell Wallace, independently developed the theory of evolution by natural selection and published 'On the Origin of Species'.

Alfred Russell Wallace

An English naturalist, world traveler, and correspondent with Darwin who independently conceived the theory of evolution by natural selection and is considered the father of biogeography.

HMS Beagle

The ship on which Charles Darwin served as a naturalist from 1831-1836, making observations critical to his theory of natural selection.

Galápagos Islands

An archipelago visited by Darwin during his Voyage of the Beagle, where he observed unique species like finches, which showed variations adapted to different island environments.

Darwin's Finches

A group of finch species observed by Darwin on the Galápagos Islands, exhibiting variations in beak size and shape adapted to different food sources, suggesting modification from a common ancestor.

Wallace Line

An 'imaginary' biogeographical boundary that separates the Asian fauna from the Australian fauna (e.g., placental mammals from marsupials), particularly in the Malay Archipelago.

Linnean Society of London

The scientific society where papers by Alfred Russell Wallace and Charles Darwin on the theory of natural selection were jointly presented on July 1, 1858.

On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin's seminal book, published in 1859, which formally outlined his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Struggle for existence

Darwin's inference that since more individuals are produced than can be supported by limited resources, there must be competition for survival.

Evolution by natural selection

The conclusion of Darwin's chain of logic: over numerous generations, natural selection causes gradual changes in a population, eventually leading to new species.

Natural selection acts on individuals

The process of natural selection occurs at the level of individual organisms, determining which ones survive and reproduce, while evolution acts on populations.

Evolution acts on populations

The long-term change in the genetic makeup of a group of organisms over generations, which is the result of natural selection acting on individuals within that group.

Fitness (biological)

In biology, an individual's survival and reproduction, referring to their ability to contribute genes to the next generation, not necessarily physical strength or ability.

Heritable trait

A characteristic that can be passed down from parents to offspring, a prerequisite for natural selection to act upon it.

Population variation

The differences in traits among individuals within a population, which is necessary for natural selection to operate.

Peppered moth (Biston betularia)

An example of natural selection observed in England, where changes in environmental conditions (industrial pollution) led to a shift in the predominant moth morph (from light to dark) due to differential predation.

Industrial Revolution (effect on natural selection)

A period in 18th-19th century England that dramatically altered the environment through pollution, leading to an observable instance of natural selection, such as the darkening of peppered moths.

Nylon-eating bacterium

An example of rapid natural selection where bacteria evolved the ability to digest byproducts of nylon manufacturing through frame shift mutation and enzyme coding, demonstrating evolution in action.

Geographical isolation

A physical barrier (like a canyon) that prevents interbreeding between populations, contributing to the formation of new species through natural selection.

Mechanism of inheritance

The process by which traits are passed from parents to offspring, which was not understood by Darwin, who incorrectly assumed blending inheritance.

Biblical creationism

The belief that the universe and life originated 'from specific acts of divine creation' as depicted in religious texts, often contrasting with evolutionary theory.

Creation Science / Intelligent Design

Attempts to present creationist beliefs as scientific theories, often rejected by scientific and legal communities due to lack of testability and falsifiability.

William Paley's Watchmaker Analogy

An argument for intelligent design, where the complexity of nature (like an eye) implies a divine designer, as put forth by William Paley.

Nonoverlapping Magisteria (NOMA)

Stephen Jay Gould's concept proposing that science and faith represent different areas of inquiry: science addresses 'how' the natural world works, while faith addresses 'why' questions of meaning and moral value.