Evolution & Speciation Flashcards
Ageing
Change in individual over time
Metabolism
Organism changing the environment
Evolution
Permanence change in a population over time, due to external pressures and random genetic mutations. These changes may not be observable from one generation to the next but the process over time will cause visible change to the species.
Lamarcks Theory
“Use and disuse, life evolves as environments change” Certain organs and traits can be “developed” as a result of an environmental need (selection pressure) as they are used more often and therefore are more developed. The more developed organs will be inherited by offspring and thus a species will evolve. Individuals therefore lose characteristics they do not require, or use.
Giraffe Example (Lamarck)
Giraffes stretch their neck to reach food high in trees - this strengthens and lengthens the neck and is passed on to offspring.
Darwins Decent with Modification
Individuals in a population vary in their heritable characteristics - some of which are more suited to the environment and are therefore selected for, and give rise to visible change in the species as a whole.
Natural Selection
Environmental pressures give advantage to certain traits - therefore some individuals within the population are more likely to survive and pass on their genes - causing the species to change and evolve over time
Four basic principles of evolution by natural selection
- Individuals are not identical
- Some of the variation between individuals is heritable
- All populations are cabale of exponential growth but have limited resources… therefore….
- Variations that increase survival and reproductive success are more likely to be passed down to others
Therefore…..
The heritable features that define a population will change over time.
Speciation
Formation of new and distinct species by splitting a single lineage into two or more genetically seperate ones
What drives speciation
- Barrier formed
- New Habitat
- Genetic Change
Allopatric Speciation
Formation of species that are geographically isolated from one another ( Selection pressures are slightly different and mutations aren’t being transferred within the two groups, thus speciation occurs. )
Peripatric Speciation
small groups of individuals break off from the larger group and form a new species
Parapatric Speciation
Species spread out over a large area and individuals only mate with those in their own geographic region - various niches within the same habitat
Sympatric Speciation
No physical barriers & close proximity BUT a new species spontaneously develops through genetic change
Herbert Spencer described evolution as …
Survival of the fittest