Introduction to Evolution Mr. Modafferi Biology 9 - Regents

Do Now How many recorded species are there in the world? 1.4 Million Recorded

Interesting Fact Hydrothermal vents along the floor provide a type of chemical energy for bacteria. These bacteria use this energy like plants use the energy of the sun. They then form the base of a giant food web thousands of feet below the surface. Only until recently have we been able to discover this new habitat. Now scientists believe there could be as many as a million species just in on the ocean floor.

How is it possible that there are so many different species?  The Theory of Evolutionary

Evolution TThe genetic changes in organisms over time This explains how modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms Occurs in populations of organisms, not individuals Evolution is one of the great unifying theories of biology

“Scientific” Theory  Statements or models that have been tested and confirmed many times  THERE IS NO DOUBT IN THEORIES Theory is almost as good as fact because it has been tested and retested by many people.

Properties of Theories  They explain a wide variety of data and observations  They can be used to make predictions  They are not absolute, they serve as a model of understanding the world and can be changed as the world view changes

Question of the Day  How did organisms change over time (evolve)? How is a Giraffe’s neck longer now than it was in the past?

Lamarck’s Hypothesis of Evolution  Lamarck ( ) 1)Believed that species would gain or lose features if they overused or didn’t use them - They adapted to their environment 2)Inheritance of acquired characteristics - Lamarck believe that organisms become adapted to their environment during their lifetime and pass on these adaptations to their offspring

Use and Disuse - Explained  New structures arise because they are needed  Structures already present become better developed due to frequent use  Structures that are not used decrease in size and eventually disappear

 A giraffe stretched its neck to reach higher leaves, and this stretched neck would be a trait inherited by its offspring

Lamarck’s Theory Was Proven Wrong!

Think Logically  If you had a terrible accident and one of your limbs got amputated would your offspring not have that limb when born?

Who is the “main man” of evolution?  Charles Darwin  Born: February 12, 1809  The main contributor to the modern theory of evolution  He wrote The Origin of Species in 1859

Charles Darwin  Darwin made many observation and collected different specimens during his five-year journey on the Beagle.  Please take out your map of Darwin’s journey and lets discuss some of his observations!

 Darwin's many observations led him to the idea that species slowly change over time  Darwin's comparison of the animals of South America and the Galapagos Islands caused him to conclude that adaptation to the environment can cause diversification, including origin of new species  Examples: Patagonian hares replaced rabbits in the South American grasslands

Please Take Out a Piece of Paper  Write Down: 3 things you learned 2 things you found interesting 1 thing you still don’t understand or one question you still have

 Plato & Aristotle believed species were fixed & could be arranged according to their complexity  In the mid eighteenth century, Carolus Linnaeus developed a system of classification that called binomial nomenclature  George Cuvier, in the eighteenth century, explained changes in the fossil record by proposing that a whole series of catastrophes (extinctions) and re-populations from other regions had occurred giving the appearance of change over time  Prior to Darwin, it was thought that the world was young & species did not change