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The History of Life on Earth
Chapter 25 The History of Life on Earth
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Overview: Lost Worlds Past organisms were very different from those now alive The fossil record shows macroevolutionary changes over large time scales including The emergence of terrestrial vertebrates The origin of photosynthesis Long-term impacts of mass extinctions Cryolophosaurus
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Concept 25.1: Conditions on early Earth made the origin of life possible
Chemical and physical processes on early Earth may have produced very simple cells through a sequence of stages: 1. Abiotic synthesis of small organic molecules 2. Joining of these small molecules into macromolecules 3. Packaging of molecules into “protobionts” 4. Origin of self-replicating molecules
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Synthesis of Organic Compounds on Early Earth
Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago Earth’s early atmosphere likely contained water vapor and chemicals released by volcanic eruptions (nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide) Hypothesized that the early atmosphere was a reducing environment, lab experiments that showed that the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules in a reducing atmosphere is possible
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Fig. 25-2 However, the evidence is not yet convincing that the early atmosphere was in fact reducing Instead of forming in the atmosphere, the first organic compounds may have been synthesized near submerged volcanoes and deep-sea vents Figure 25.2 A window to early life?
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Protobionts Replication and metabolism are key properties of life
Protobionts are aggregates of abiotically produced molecules surrounded by a membrane or membrane-like structure exhibit simple reproduction and metabolism and maintain an internal chemical environment Experiments demonstrate that protobionts could have formed spontaneously from abiotically produced organic compounds
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Simple reproduction by liposomes
Fig. 25-3a 20 µm Figure 25.3 Laboratory versions of protobionts Simple reproduction by liposomes
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Self-Replicating RNA and the Dawn of Natural Selection
The first genetic material was probably RNA, not DNA Early protobionts with self-replicating, catalytic RNA would have been more effective at using resources and would have increased in number through natural selection The early genetic material might have formed an “RNA world”
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Concept 25.2: The fossil record documents the history of life
The fossil record reveals changes in the history of life on earth Sedimentary rocks are deposited into layers called strata and are the richest source of fossils Few individuals have fossilized, and even fewer have been discovered The fossil record is biased in favor of species that Existed for a long time Were abundant and widespread Had hard parts
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Figure 25.4 Documenting the history of life
Present Rhomaleosaurus victor, a plesiosaur Dimetrodon 100 million years ago Casts of ammonites 175 200 270 300 4.5 cm Hallucigenia 375 Coccosteus cuspidatus 400 1 cm Figure 25.4 Documenting the history of life Dickinsonia costata 500 525 2.5 cm 565 Stromatolites 600 Tappania, a unicellular eukaryote Fossilized stromatolite 3,500 1,500
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The Origin of New Groups of Organisms
Mammals belong to the group of animals called tetrapods The evolution of unique mammalian features through gradual modifications can be traced from ancestral synapsids through the present
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Fig. 25-6 Synapsid (300 mya) Temporal fenestra Key Articular Dentary Quadrate Squamosal Therapsid (280 mya) Reptiles (including dinosaurs and birds) Temporal fenestra EARLY TETRAPODS Dimetrodon Early cynodont (260 mya) Synapsids Temporal fenestra Very late cynodonts Earlier cynodonts Therapsids Figure 25.6 The origin of mammals Later cynodont (220 mya) Mammals Very late cynodont (195 mya)
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Present Cenozoic 65.5 Millions of years ago 135 Mesozoic 251 Paleozoic
South America Pangaea Millions of years ago 65.5 135 Mesozoic 251 Paleozoic Gondwana Laurasia Eurasia India Africa Antarctica Australia North America Madagascar Cenozoic Present Table 25.1
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Adaptive Radiations Adaptive radiation is the evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor upon introduction to new environmental opportunities
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Worldwide Adaptive Radiations
Mammals underwent an adaptive radiation after the extinction of terrestrial dinosaurs The disappearance of dinosaurs (except birds) allowed for the expansion of mammals in diversity and size Other notable radiations include photosynthetic prokaryotes, large predators in the Cambrian, land plants, insects, and tetrapods
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Adaptive Radiation of Mammals
Fig Adaptive Radiation of Mammals Ancestral mammal Monotremes (5 species) ANCESTRAL CYNODONT Marsupials (324 species) Eutherians (placental mammals; 5,010 species) Figure Adaptive radiation of mammals 250 200 150 100 50 Millions of years ago
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Regional Adaptive Radiations
Adaptive radiations can occur when organisms colonize new environments with little competition The Hawaiian Islands are one of the world’s great showcases of adaptive radiation
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These plants had a common ancestor 5 million years ago
Fig Close North American relative, the tarweed Carlquistia muirii KAUAI 5.1 million years MOLOKAI 1.3 million years Dubautia laxa MAUI OAHU 3.7 million years Argyroxiphium sandwicense LANAI HAWAII 0.4 million years Figure Adaptive radiation on the Hawaiian Islands Dubautia waialealae These plants had a common ancestor 5 million years ago Dubautia scabra Dubautia linearis
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1.3 KAUAI MOLOKAI million 5.1 years million MAUI years OAHU 3.7
Fig a 1.3 million years KAUAI 5.1 million years MOLOKAI MAUI OAHU 3.7 million years LANAI Pacific Tectonic plate has been moving to the west, with it the formation of the Hawaiian islands occurred causing variation between the islands' topography and weather, causing the formation of different environments and with it different species Figure Adaptive radiation on the Hawaiian Islands HAWAII 0.4 million years
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Concept 25.5: Major changes in body form can result from changes in the sequences and regulation of developmental genes Studying genetic mechanisms of change can provide insight into large-scale evolutionary change Evolutionary Effects of Development Genes Genes that program development control the rate, timing, and spatial pattern of changes in an organism’s form as it develops into an adult
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Changes in Rate and Timing
Heterochrony is an evolutionary change in the rate or timing of developmental events It can have a significant impact on body shape The contrasting shapes of human and chimpanzee skulls are the result of small changes in relative growth rates
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Heterochrony Arms and legs grow faster than head and
Fig (a) Differential growth rates in a human (b) Comparison of chimpanzee and human skull growth Newborn Age (years) Adult 15 5 2 Chimpanzee fetus Chimpanzee adult Human fetus Human adult Heterochrony Arms and legs grow faster than head and trunk parts of body skulls of human and chimp are similar at the fetus stage, but become much different once adults Figure Relative growth rates of body parts
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In paedomorphosis, the rate of reproductive development accelerates compared with somatic development The sexually mature species may retain body features that were juvenile structures in an ancestral species fish-like tail gills
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Changes in Spatial Pattern
Substantial evolutionary change can also result from alterations in genes that control the location/placement and organization of body parts Homeotic genes determine such basic features as where wings and legs will develop on a bird or how a flower’s parts are arranged
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Hox genes are a class of homeotic genes that provide positional information during development
If Hox genes are expressed in the wrong location, body parts can be produced in the wrong location For example, in crustaceans, a swimming appendage can be produced instead of a feeding appendage
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Evolution of vertebrates from invertebrate animals was associated with alterations in Hox genes
Two duplications of Hox genes have occurred in the vertebrate lineage These duplications may have been important in the evolution of new vertebrate characteristics
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Hypothetical vertebrate ancestor (invertebrate)
Fig Hypothetical vertebrate ancestor (invertebrate) with a single Hox cluster First Hox duplication Hypothetical early vertebrates (jawless) with two Hox clusters Second Hox duplication Figure Hox mutations and the origin of vertebrates Vertebrates (with jaws) with four Hox clusters
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The Evolution of Development
The tremendous increase in diversity during the Cambrian explosion is a puzzle Developmental genes may play an especially important role Changes in developmental genes can result in new morphological forms
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Changes in Genes New morphological forms likely come from gene duplication events that produce new developmental genes A possible mechanism for the evolution of six-legged insects from a many-legged crustacean ancestor has been demonstrated in lab experiments Specific changes in the Ubx gene have been identified that can “turn off” leg development
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Hox gene 6 Hox gene 7 Hox gene 8 About 400 mya Drosophila Artemia Ubx
Fig Hox gene 6 Hox gene 7 Hox gene 8 About 400 mya Drosophila Artemia Ubx Figure Origin of the insect body plan
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Changes in Gene Regulation
Changes in the form of organisms may be caused more often by changes in the regulation of developmental genes instead of changes in their sequence
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Concept 25.6: Evolution is not goal oriented
Evolution is like tinkering—it is a process in which new forms arise by the slight modification of existing forms
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Evolutionary Novelties
Most novel biological structures evolve in many stages from previously existing structures Complex eyes have evolved from simple photosensitive cells independently many times Exaptations are structures that evolve in one context but become co-opted for a different function Natural selection can only improve a structure in the context of its current utility
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(a) Patch of pigmented cells
Fig Pigmented cells (photoreceptors) Pigmented cells Epithelium Limpet slit shell upload.wikimedia.org Nerve fibers Nerve fibers (b) Eyecup upload.wikimedia.org (a) Patch of pigmented cells Fluid-filled cavity Cellular mass (lens) Cornea Nautilus Epithelium Murex Optic nerve Pigmented layer (retina) Optic nerve (c) Pinhole camera-type eye (d) Eye with primitive lens upload.wikimedia.org Figure A range of eye complexity among molluscs Cornea Lens Loligo gahi Retina Optic nerve (e) Complex camera-type eye
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Evolutionary Trends Extracting a single evolutionary progression from the fossil record can be misleading Apparent trends should be examined in a broader context
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Figure 25.25 The branched evolution of horses
Recent (11,500 mya) Equus Hippidion and other genera Pleistocene (1.8 mya) Nannippus Pliohippus Pliocene (5.3 mya) Hipparion Neohipparion Sinohippus Megahippus Callippus Archaeohippus Miocene (23 mya) Merychippus Anchitherium Hypohippus Parahippus Miohippus Oligocene (33.9 mya) Figure The branched evolution of horses Mesohippus Paleotherium Epihippus Propalaeotherium Eocene (55.8 mya) Pachynolophus Orohippus Key Grazers Hyracotherium Browsers
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