WHAT IS EVOLUTION?

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? How would you explain the evolution of this trait? Cave salamanders are blind (their eyes are non-functional). How could a biologist explain how this inability evolved from sighted ancestors?

PRE-DARWIN IDEAS Earth is young Earth is not changing

HISTORY: In the beginning… Plato and Aristotle (mid 300 B.C.) Scale of Nature

EVIDENCE FROM GEOLOGY James Hutton He proposed the theory of uniformitarianism Charles Lyell 1830 wrote Principles of Geology that Darwin read on his journey supporting Hutton’s work

JUDEO CHRISTIAN CULTURE Exploring God’s work Carlos Linnaeus (1700s): ___________________________ George Cuvier (late 1700s): - Paleontology: Found that fossils were dissimilar to modern life - Species can become _________________ - Species can ___________________________

Erasmus Darwin Grandpa! Termed _______________ Life developed from a single sources Humans close to primates (how dare he!)

O.K. ORGANISMS EVOLVE BUT WHAT MAKES THEM EVOLVE? MECHANISMS BEHIND EVOLUTION Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevealier de Lamarck…a.k.a. Lamarck! Published in 1809 when baby Darwin was born  ______________________________________________________________________________ Idea #1: _______________________________ Idea #2: _______________________________ Idea #3:________________________________

LAMARCK’S IDEA

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) Beagle voyage around the world Looked at living organisms and fossil record

VOYAGE ON THE BEAGLE

PATTERNS IN DIVERSITY 1. Rheas in South America Emu in Australia Ostrich in Africa

Darwin questioned why are marsupials only found in Australia even though Europe had a similar environment.

Unique South American Character A South American tropical lizard more similar to a S.A. desert lizard than another lizard elsewhere

2. Species Vary Locally What does the difference in structure between the two tortoises tell you about the island they occupy? Galapagos Tortoises

3. Species vary over time Ancestor of armadillo was much bigger

Darwin also observed the geological process Hutton and Lyell observed on his journey

Working towards a theory of Natural Selection Malthus’ work: population size can increases exponentially but it remains stable over time…why?

Darwin - Descent with Modification Today known as “evolution”

3 Points To Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection (Mechanism) 1.

2. _________________________________

3. _________________________ The environment plays a role in keeping populations in check Natural selection __ _____________________ ____________________ “Survival of The Fittest”: those that can survive and reproduce the most viable offspring are the most fit

Alfred Wallace (1823-1913) I have this theory about natural selection charlsey boy, what do you think? Darwin’s Origin of Species Decent with modification (evolution) Natural Selection Decent of Man was also then published

Lamarck vs. Darwin