1. Early Ideas about Evolution and Darwin’s Observations SECTIONS 10.1 & 10.2

2. A few things first…  What is evolution?  Who was the first person to have thoughts about evolution?  Is it still going on today?

3. Evolution  Process of biological change by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors  What does that even mean???

4. Before Charles Darwin…  Carolus Linnaeus: 1700’s Sweden  Botanist who organized organisms based on their similarities.  Did not believe organisms were fixed and did not change  Why would organizing things according to similarities make one think of evolution?  What does it mean when something is “fixed”?

5. Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon  1700’s France (obviously)  Also rejected the idea of fixation  First to propose organisms come from common ancestors  Dismissed the idea the earth was only 6000 years old. Went off of geology instead  Why would coming from a common ancestor support evolution?  How did geology not support the theory of the earth being 6000 years old back then?

6. Erasmus Darwin  1731 England, Charles Darwin’s grandpa  Actually a doctor and a poet  Also put forth the idea of common ancestors  Suggested common ancestors were less complex  Why would he suggest common ancestors were less complex?

7. Jean-Baptiste Lamark  1809 France  Naturalist who proposed all organisms evolved towards perfection  Did not think organisms became extinct  Thought changes in the environment would lead to the use or disuse of structures/organs  Why would he think organisms did not become extinct  How could environment lead to use/disuse of organs or structures? Examples?

8. Geology!  What exactly is geology?  Different theories about geologic change helped to prepare Darwin’s theory of evolution.

9. Catostrophism  Proposed by Georges Cuvier  Examples?  Quickly change the layout of landforms or other livable areas fairly quickly  Can also cause mass extictions  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs

10. Gradualism Proposed by James Hutton  Some changes in landforms were caused by forces over a long period of time  What “forces” could be powerful enough to carve through rock over long periods of time?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktf73HNZZGY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktf73HNZZGY  What are some examples of landforms that were subject to gradualism?  Is this still going on today?

11. Uniformitarianism  Developed by Charles Lyell  Changes or processes that shape earth are uniform through time  What does it mean if something is uniform?  How are we able to tell uniformitarianism has occurred in rock formations?

15. Charles Darwin  Left on a voyage in 1831 on the HMS Beagle  Just keeping the captain company  Meant to map the coast of South America and nearby islands

16. Where did he do most of his observations?

18. Observation of differences  Variation : the difference in physical traits of an individual from those of other individuals in the group it belongs in

20. Variation in Finches

21. What is an adaptation ?  What allows these adaptations to occur?  Can these adaptations get passed on to offspring?  What happens if adaptations get passed on in a population for a long time?

22. Fossil Evidence also supports Darwin’s theory  He found a giant armadillo skeleton in Argentina  Glyptodon

23. Geologic Evidence  Found fossils of sea life in the Andes Mountains  How could that possibly happen?  Used all he found as material in his book On the Origin of Species