Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byClara Harriet Roberts Modified over 9 years ago
1
The Pre-Darwinian Standard Western World View Earth is young (6000 years) Earth is unchanged Creator (Great Engineer) designed organisms ‘wisely’ Different species exist because of different functions & local ecological conditions
2
Pre-Darwinian Challenges to the Classical View Stratigraphy suggests an old, changeable earth Fossil organisms provide evidence that species have disappeared from their former ranges Some organisms must have become extinct everywhere Many more organisms exist than were known in the classical world Organisms can be classified by anatomical & developmental resemblances that transcend function or ecology
4
Voyage of the Beagle 1831-1836
5
Darwin learned during his trip Geological change uniformitarian ( same processes acting today account for the past ) Faunas are regional ( South America different from Old World tropics ) Extinct faunas resemble living regional faunas Nearby, similar islands have different species
6
After returning, Darwin learned Organisms produce many, many, many more offspring than survive It is easy to modify organisms by artificial selection - variation is heritable
8
Darwin after the Voyage of the Beagle
9
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Descent With Modification Fertility is so high that populations would increase exponentially if all offspring survived Most species have stable numbers Natural resources are finite / limited Therefore, there is a struggle for existence, and only a fraction of offspring survive.
10
Individuals in a population differ; no two are exactly alike Much of the variation is heritable Survival in the struggle for existence is not random, but tends toward those that have inherited favorable variations Therefore, the unequal ability of individuals to survive and reproduce leads to gradual change in a population, with favorable characteristics increasing in frequency Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Descent With Modification
11
Darwin’s Main Points in the Origin of Species Species evolve into new species gradually over time All species share one (or a few) common ancestor Natural selection is the mechanism by which new species evolve ( Darwin’s Theory )
12
Who are the fittest? Those individuals that produces the most offspring that survive to reproduction Mayfly: short life, high fecundity Sequoia: long life, low fecundity
13
Where is the Evidence? Biogeography Fossil record Taxonomy Comparative anatomy Comparative embryology Molecular Biology Sunbird: Old World Hummingbird: New World Darwin’s Now
14
human...GTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATTCCAGCTCCAAT... yeast...GTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATTCCAGCTCCAAT... corn...GTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATTCCAGCTCCAAT... Genetic Homology A striking confirmation of evolutionary theory
15
Alfred Russel Wallace 1823-1913 Independently derived the theory of evolution by natural selection
16
Evolution is a Fact! Natural Selection is a (well- supported) Theory to Explain this Fact!
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.