Jean Baptiste Lamarck ( ). Published his theory of evolution in Mechanism -- Inheritance of acquired characteristics. Darwin not first to suggest evolution occurs.

Inheritance of acquired characteristics: Characteristics an organism acquires during its lifetime are passed on to its offspring. Example: Giraffes stretch their necks to reach leaves. As a result their young born with longer necks.

Lamarck’s mechanism generally does not work because DNA is not changed by an organism’s behavior or experiences. One-way flow of information from DNA to body.

Charles Darwin ( ). Son of a wealthy doctor. Studied medicine. Dropped out. Then studied theology. Keen naturalist and hunter.

Voyage of The Beagle ( ) Darwin companion for Captain Fitzroy. (Darwin not the official naturalist.) Beagle sailed around the World. Mission to map coast of South America.

Sites visited included Galapagos Islands. Volcanic islands (hence of recent origin) off coast of Ecuador. Unique animals on Galapagos include giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and Darwin’s finches.

On voyage Darwin read Lyell’s Principles of Geology. Book emphasized: 1. Gradualism: Geological features can be explained by gradual action of processes we see around us. E.g. wind, waves, rivers. 2. Great age of the earth

What Darwin observed 1. South American fossils resembled living animals. e.g. Extinct glyptodont (2,000 kg) resembles modern-day armadillo (2 kg).

What Darwin observed: 2. Parts of the world with similar climates (e.g. Australia, South America) populated by very different organisms.

What Darwin observed: 3. Plants and animals on each continent are distinctive. E.g. kangaroos in Australia, guinea pigs, armadillos in South America.

What Darwin observed: 4. Many species on oceanic islands are found only there (endemic). Often groups of very similar species found on these islands. E.g. Galapagos finches and tortoises. These are examples of adaptive radiation.

Galapagos Giant Tortoise

Large Cactus Ground Finch

Sharp- beaked Ground Finch

Warbler Finch

Galapagos Woodpecker Finch

What Darwin observed: 5. Endemic species on islands closely resemble species on adjacent mainland.

These observations suggested to Darwin that species are not unchanging. Instead species change over time i.e., Evolution occurs. But how does evolution take place?

Key breakthrough when Darwin read: Malthus’s Essay on the Principle of population. Malthus: Populations increase geometrically (multiplicatively), but resources do not. Populations will outgrow their food supply.

Darwin concluded that among organisms there is a struggle for existence. Only the best adapted organisms survive to breed. Darwin called the mechanism that causes evolution to occur: natural selection.

Darwin’s logic 5 observations and 3 inferences (or conclusions).

Observation 1. If all organisms bred successfully populations would increase exponentially. Observation 2. However, populations generally stay stable over time. Observation 3. Resources are limited.

Inference 1. Because resources are limited, more individuals are born than the environment can support. There is a struggle for existence (and ultimately for reproduction.) Only some individuals survive to breed.

Observation 4. Individuals differ in their characteristics. There is variation. Observation 5. Much of that variation is heritable.

Inference 2. Survival and reproduction are not random. The characteristics of an organism, which it inherits, affect its chances of survival and reproduction. Organisms best adapted to the environment on average leave the most offspring.

Inference 3. Because variation is heritable, differences between individuals in their reproductive success lead to changes in the characteristics of the next generation. Evolution occurs.

Darwin developed his ideas in 1842, but did not publish them immediately. In 1858 Alfred Russel Wallace wrote to Darwin. He had independently developed the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Joint presentation of their ideas in Darwin published On the Origin of Species in Explained in detail his ideas about evolution and natural selection.

Major difficulty for Darwin was that he did not understand how inheritance occurs. Darwin did not express his ideas in terms of genes. He had no idea what genes were or what DNA was.

DNA is the genetic material. The instructions for making and “operating” an organism are written in DNA. DNA is divided into sections called genes. Basic genetics terminology

Each gene codes for a protein. Together the genes determine the characteristics of an organism.

Alleles are different versions of a gene. If a single gene codes for flower color, white and blue flowers would be coded for by 2 different alleles.

You possess two copies of each gene in your body*. One copy is inherited from each parent. For a given gene you may have two different alleles or two copies of the same allele. (* excluding genes on sex chromosomes in males).

A homozygous individual has two copies of a particular allele. (AA) A heterozygous individual has two different alleles. (Aa)

Genotype and phenotype An organism’s genes (its genotype) play a large role in determining its physical appearance (its phenotype). But remember an organism’s phenotype is also affected by the environment.

The relationship between genes and evolution We express evolutionary ideas in terms of genes because genes are the only thing that are passed from one generation to the next.

Process of Natural Selection In the process of natural selection, genes that help organisms to survive and reproduce become more common. Genes that help less or are harmful gradually are eliminated from the population.

Process of Natural Selection Individuals that are the best adapted to their environments (the best camouflaged, best at finding food, etc.) will generally be more successful at breeding than less well adapted individuals. As a result, their genes (which make them well adapted) will be commoner in the next generation than the gens of less well adapted individuals.

Natural Selection leads to Evolution Natural selection is the term used to describe the process by which the best genes are chosen in each generation. Evolution occurs when gene frequencies change from one generation to the next.

Definitions of evolution Microevolution: Change from generation to generation in the genetic structure of a population. Macroevolution: Cumulative change in the characteristics of organisms that occurs over the course of successive generations and that can lead to the origin of new species over time.

Natural Selection leads to adaptation As a result of the ongoing process fo natural selection organisms become increasingly well adapted to their environments. An adaptation is any characteristic of an organism that enables it to survive and reproduce in its environemnt.

Evolution is a population process It’s important to remember that an individual can be selected for or against, but only populations evolve. Evolution involves change in the characteristics of a population over the course of generations.