2 - Darwin Flashcards
How does Darwin’s original theory of evolution differ from the NeoDarwinian theory, also known as the Modern Synthesis?
Darwin’s original theory focused on natural selection, while the Modern Synthesis incorporates genetics and more supporting evidence for evolution.
What are the key points in the history of science with a focus on Charles Darwin?
- Evolutionary thought before Darwin: Many current hypotheses are partially wrong.
- Simultaneous publication by Wallace and Darwin: Don’t delay your publications!
- Darwin’s theory: He compiled supporting evidence into different editions of his book “Origin of Species.” - Critics of Darwin’s theory: Logical gaps existed.
- Modern Darwinian theory (the Modern Synthesis in the 1930-40s): Genetic mechanisms and more supporting evidence for Evolution.
What is the scientific method in evolutionary biology?
- observations of geology, fossils, natural history, animal breeding.
- hypothesis about a mechanism that may explain your observations.
- Test a prediction from your hypothesis by making more observations or experiments.
- If even one of your predictions is false, then you must revise your hypothesis.
What were the contributions of Carl Linnaeus to science?
- binomial (“two names”) species naming system.
- Authored “Species Plantarum” in 1753 and “Systema Naturae” in 1758.
- Emphasized the invariability of species as a condition for order in nature.
- Provided a scientific description of the human species in the ninth edition of Systema Naturae.
What were the key ideas and contributions of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck?
- Proposed the “inheritance of acquired traits.”
- Suggested that use or disuse of structures causes them to enlarge or shrink.
- Discarded the concept of fixed species, viewing species as populations of individuals showing variation.
- Proposed continuous, gradual change of all organisms as they adapt to their environments, driving Lamarckian evolution.
What are some key facts about Charles Darwin’s life?
- Born on Feb. 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, UK. - His father and paternal grandfather were medical doctors. - Married his wealthy maternal first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, in 1839. - Died on April 19, 1882, at the age of 73, likely from Chagas disease transmitted by assassin bugs.
What were Charles Darwin’s experiences during his university life?
- Sent to medical school in Edinburgh in 1825 at the age of 16 but dropped out after two years. - Met scientists and joined a student scientific society. - Enrolled in Cambridge in 1828 to become a clergyman of the Church of England. - Graduated in 1831 at the age of 21, becoming interested in natural history under the influence of Prof. Henslow and Prof. Sedgwick.
What were the key aspects of Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle?
- The five-year voyage was nominated by Prof. Henslow, although Darwin’s father initially objected.
- Darwin took books by Malthus and Lyell.
- The Beagle set sail on December 27th, 1831, when Darwin was 22 years old and returned on October 2nd, 1836, when he was 27 years old.
What significant observations did Charles Darwin make during his voyage on the Beagle?
- He spent 5 weeks on the Galápagos Islands, 1000 km off Ecuador.
- He noted that mocking-thrushes and tortoises were morphologically distinctive on each island.
What were some key developments in Charles Darwin’s life and work in the 1830s and 1840s?
- In 1831, he read Lyell’s “Principles of Geology,” which influenced his understanding of geologic change.
- He started a notebook on variation in 1837.
- In 1838, he read Malthus’s “Essay on the Principle of Population,” which provided a mechanism for evolution by natural selection.
- He created the first outline of his theory in 1842 and expanded it to 230 pages in 1844.
What were the major contributions to the history of natural selection, and who were the key figures involved?
- Lyell - Earth changes gradually.
- Haeckel - morphological homologies in early vertebrate embryos.
- Lamarck discarded the concept of fixed species and viewed species as populations showing variation.
-Malthus contributed the idea that human population size is limited by resources. - Darwin proposed natural selection as the mechanism explaining descent with modification.
-Russel Wallace independently formulated ideas of natural selection and common ancestry.
What was Alfred Russel Wallace’s contribution to the theory of natural selection?
Alfred Russel Wallace sent Darwin a letter in 1858 that independently formulated the ideas of natural selection and common ancestry.
What is the significance of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace’s joint publication in 1858?
Their joint publication introduced the concept of natural selection as the mechanism for evolution, providing a crucial foundation for modern evolutionary theory.
What did Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection entail?
- Individuals within species are variable. 2. Some of the phenotypic variation is inherited by their offspring.
- More offspring are produced than can survive, leading to competition.
- Survival and reproduction are not random; individuals with favorable variations survive and reproduce, leading to “Survival of the Fittest.”
What key aspects of evolution did Darwin’s theory of “descent with modification” explain?
Darwin’s theory explained the non-constancy of species, the descent of all organisms from common ancestors, the gradualness of evolution, and the multiplication of species, leading to the origin of biodiversity.
