Anatomy & Physiology I - Unit 4: Evolution and Natural Selection
Tree of Life ~2000
Tree pattern suggests evolution - the hierarchy of life is a family tree in which populations change with time. - in general, similarities between species are due to relatedness.
Evidence for evolution Fossils
Evidence for Evolution: Structural Similarities
Evidence for Evolution: Developmental Similarities Gill pouch Tail Figure: 21.2b Caption: (b) These photos show the strong resemblance of the early embryonic stages of a chick and a human. Chick Human Homology: similarities caused by common descent
But how do species evolve? Darwin figured out how. It’s a process similar to how humans breed animals Charles Darwin 1809 - 1882
Animal breeding aka “Artificial Selection”
How do you get this?
Evolution in action: Giraffe neck length
Happy Giraffes
Hungry Giraffes
Surviving Giraffes
With Evolution You Get: Taller giraffes over time
Evolution: A change in a population over time
Natural selection An environmental influence that gives some individuals in a population a reproductive or survival advantage over others. Principal cause of evolution.
Requirements for Evolution Variability Heritability Differential survival or reproduction
Tall Giraffes Mutation: random genetic changes
Speciation: separation by natural events that causes new species to develop
Discussion Question: Are humans still evolving?
Common Misperception: Individuals evolve “And now there go the Wilsons!... Seems Like everyone’s evolving except us!”
Acquired characteristics are not inherited! as in…..
Timmy & Gobbles
Evolution is slow Great Calendar 1 month 383 million years 1 day 13 million years 1 second 143 years Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Earth forms First fossils First algae First land plants
December 1 5 10 30 25 20 15 Land animals Dinosaurs extinct
December 31 11:58:23 pm Native Americans reach Americas 11:48 pm Modern humans leave Africa noon 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 11:58:23 pm Native Americans reach Americas
Classroom Assignment: Building the Perfect Beast - I want you to think about how the human body has evolved over time, and how it might have evolved better. - Today you are in charge of the world, and you have to think about ways to make the human species better adapted to the environment.
Building the Perfect Beast Pick any ten attributes or parts of the human body Note the defect of that part, or how it might be made better Describe your changes, piece by piece, oh master of the universe… Draw me a picture of your perfect beast