Exam 1 Flashcards
Why do we study evolution?
To understand the great diversity of life.
To study how species, families, orders, classes, and phyla are interrelated.
To understand the evolutionary history contained in the fossil record.
To understand disease and develop effective treatments.
To manage endangered species.
What is Evolution?
- The process of species change over time.
- The way that new species arise.
- Changes in the genetics of populations from generation to generation.
- Change in gene frequency over time.
- Change in morphology of populations over time.
- Origin of new life forms from pre-existing forms of life.
What are the basic units of evolution?
Genes (regions of DNA) Organisms Populations Species Clades (related species with a common ancestor)
What is life’s history?
When did various species evolve?
Who: what groups can be distinguished; what are the criteria?
Where: what habitats and physical conditions were present?
How do we tell who’s related to whom and how close is that relationship?
What is Ecology?
The study of the abundance and distribution of plants and animals (of organism)
How these organisms relate to each other and to their environment
How do these disciplines (evolution and ecology) intersect?
Evolutionary forces shape the ecology of species
Species influence other species and their evolution
5 characteristics of life
- Growth and development
- Acquire nutrients and process energy
- Respond to stimuli/react to the environment
- Maintain homeostasis (regulation of organism)
- Reproduction
Where did ideas about evolution come from?
1700’s — Linnaeus: classification
1830 — Charles Lyell: Principles of Geology
1798-1826—Thomas Malthus—resource limitation
1859—Charles Darwin publishes the Origin of Species
Current evidence for the evolution of life:
Fossil record
Comparative morphology
Developmental patterns
Biogeographic patterns
Molecular systematic patterns
Mechanisms of evolution
Natural selection is one of the mechanisms by which evolution can occur
But there are others:
- Sexual selection
- Genetic drift
- Population bottlenecks
- Founder effects
Where did ideas about evolution come from?
1700’s — Linnaeus: classification
1830 — Charles Lyell: Principles of Geology
1798-1826—Thomas Malthus—resource limitation
1859—Charles Darwin publishes the Origin of Species
Fossils
Fossils: preserved remains of life on earth; “dug up from beneath the ground”
body fossils
trace fossils
body fossils
= direct evidence of prehistoric life
trace fossils
(footprints, burrows; chemical) = indirect evidence
Importance of Fossils
a record of ancient life
evidence that many species that used to exist are now extinct
evidence of change over time
Humans did not always recognize fossils as what they are–remains of plants and animals
Early Evolutionary Thought
Early Greeks-
~600 B.C.
-Hippolytus was an early describer
Early Evolutionary Thought
300 B.C.
-Theophrastus (Aristotelian); thought fossil bones grew due to a characteristic inherent in the rocks; did not believe the bones were from individual, once-live creatures
Early Evolutionary Thought
200-1400 A.D.
-The Great Interruption in Western thought (Dark/Middle Ages)
Early Evolutionary Thought
1500 A.D.
-Agricola (Georg Bauer); described fossils; thought some grew within rocks; others were alive and then petrified
Early Evolutionary Thought
~1600s
-once people started agreeing that fossils had once been alive, they were explained as remains of organisms killed during the Great Flood (Old Testament).
Early Evolutionary Thought
Bishop Ussher
-(1654) calculated the age of the earth based on Biblical geneologies (4004 B.C.)
This led to the conclusion that:
All fossils were the same age
All fossils were relatively recent
Biblical/Creationist Viewpoint
Life was created by a divine being
Life survives as it was originally created (unchanged over time)
No new life forms arise
Extinction did not occur except as a result of the Biblical Flood
Early Evolutionary Thought
1700’s—Age of Enlightenment:Advances in geology
Earth did not seem as young as Bishop Ussher thought.
Much time must be needed for thick layers of rock to form.
Much time must be needed for layers of rock to erode.
A single event (Biblical flood) seemed unlikely to produce thick sequences of rock layers.
Fossils were different in different layers, refuting idea that all the animals lived at the same time.
Early Evolutionary Thought
Carl Linneaus
Advances in biological studies
Carl Linneaus develops a rigid classification system for systematically describing organisms (Systema Naturae 10th edition 1758)
1700’s — Linnaeus: classification
Early Evolutionary Thought
Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin 1731-1802
Charles Darwin’s grandfather
Species evolve into each other
Linear progressive evolution–evolve toward increasing complexity
No extinction
Early Evolutionary Thought
Jean-Baptiste Lamark
Jean-Baptiste Lamark (1744-1829)
Organisms progress upward in response to environment
Spontaneous generation from inanimate ancestors
Trend towards increasing complexity
Change acquired during lifetime is passed on to offspring
No extinction, rather, transformation
Early Evolutionary Thought: 1800’s
George Cuvier (anatomist) compared bones of living animals to extinct ones and reconstructed their appearance
William Smith: fossils were distinctive in each different rock layer; could be used to identify rocks in different parts of the country (England)
Others demonstrated the phenomenon over Western Europe
Materialism
Everything is made of matter
Can be studied by science
A materialistic world view emphasizes matter, physical processes over spiritual causes
Simple, observable physical processes used to explain more complex events
Gods/spirits not used as explanations for phenomena
Catastrophism
Catostrophic events (geologic upheavals, Biblical Flood) could explain geological features (mountains, lakes)
Uniformitarianism
Gradualists
Change occurs slowly over long periods of time
Cumulative action of everyday processes (sedimentation, erosion) explains geology
A materialistic world view (emphasizes matter, physical processes over spiritual causes)
Early Evolutionary Thought
Thomas Malthus
1798-1826—Thomas Malthus—resource limitation
Thomas Malthus (1766-1834)
Noted the geometric rise in the human population (vs. the arithmetic rise in agricultural production)
Developed the idea of limitation of natural resources
Too many people and not enough food
–>famine, disease, conflict
Early Evolutionary Thought
Charles Darwin - 1809-1882
1859 - Darwin publishes the Origin of Species.
- Son of a doctor
- “Landed gentry”
- Abandoned medical training
- Began theological training at Cambridge
- An avid collector and naturalist
- Engaged as ship’s naturalist aboard the Beagle
- Captain Robert FitzRoy
- At sea 1831-1836
- Mission: study geology and biology of S. America
- Travels mainland and islands
- Collects huge numbers of specimens
- Back in England, studies mockingbirds, finches
- Island forms are similar to mainland forms due to colonization and change
- Develops idea of “transmutation”–species change from one to another
Early Evolutionary Thought Robert Chambers (1802-1871)
Publishes “Vestiges” in 1844
Argues in favor of evolutionary change
Initially popular; subsequently widely denounced
Darwin intimidated by public reception
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)
South Seas naturalist
Independently discovers evolution via natural selection
Writes to Darwin to ask for his comments
The Article
Darwin and Wallace co-publish an article on their findings in 1858
Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society
“On the tendency of species to form varieties; and on the perpetuation of the varieties and species by natural selection”
“On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”
Charles Darwin, 1859
Elaborated, expanded ideas set forth in the paper
Used ideas from artificial selection (captive breeding) to support key arguments
An intellectual sensation
Darwin’s big idea #1:
“Descent with Modification”
New species are produced from existing species
Explains underlying similarities
Explains diversity of organisms
Explains pattern of the fossil record
Doesn’t explain the precise mechanism, though
Darwin’s big idea #2:
“Natural Selection”
More offspring are produced than can survive
Offspring vary in quality
More robust or better equipped survive better
Survivors pass on these traits to their offspring
Darwin 1859—3 important principles:
- Species are related by evolution, branching from common descent
- Species change through time, they aren’t static
- There is variation within species
Heredity
Charles Darwin did not understand heredity (used “variation”)
Gregor Mendel (1822-1884)—genetics of inheritance
Importance of Mendel’s work not understood until years after his death
Darwin: variability
-Did not understand how variability was generated (mutation)
-Did not know how variations are passed to offspring
-Thought that traits “blend”
(But phenotypes may blend; genotypes don’t)
The Modern Synthesis
Darwin’s ideas disputed for many years
Between 1932-1953, genetics were incorporated with Darwin’s ideas
Theory of Evolution is re-stated as the Modern Synthesis (Evolutionary Synthesis)
Gradual evolution
Origin of new species (macro-evolution) can be explained via natural selection on individuals (micro-evolution)
Some individuals are more successful than others
Individuals that survive and reproduce are those best adapted to environment
Over time, these adaptive alleles will become more frequent in the population
The Modern Synthesis
Gradual evolution =
result of small genetic changes acted on by natural selection
The Modern Synthesis
Restating Darwin’s original ideas:
Mutation creates new alleles; shuffling leads to variation within a population
Alleles are passed to offspring
How does evolution work?
Evolutionary processes tend to be invisible
We see the products of evolution, not the process
Natural Selection
Darwin
Darwin used natural selection to explain adaptation process
Lacked examples of natural selection
Used examples of artificial selection in plants and animals
Natural Selection
- Individuals in a population vary
- Variations are heritable
- Some variants survive and reproduce better than others
- Individuals with the best variations (adaptations) are selected
-Those “winners” become more common in the population over time - Darwinian evolution
- Natural selection is a testable theory
- Each postulate can be tested
- Natural selection exploits genetic variance to increase fitness
- It is an editor, not a writer
- Mutation is a writer, creating new forms
Natural Selection
Darwinian evolution:
gradual change in populations (gene frequencies) over time
Darwinian Fitness
The ability of an individual organism to survive and reproduce in its environment
Adaptation
A trait or characteristic of an individual that increases its fitness relative to individuals without the trait
Theory of Natural Selection is Testable!
Snapdragon experiment
-75% white with yellow dot, 25% all yellow
1. Population contained variation (white and all yellow individuals)
2. Variation in color was heritable (determined by different experiment)
SS; Ss = white, ss = yellow
Snapdragon Experiment
3. Do individuals vary in survival or reproduction (fitness)?
Counted bee visits (pollination = reproduction)
Counted seeds produced (# seeds = # offspring)
Answer: Yes!
Snapdragon Experiment
4. Is reproduction random? Or do some individuals reproduce better than others (fitness differences)?
Found some individuals received more bee visits
Some individuals had higher reproductive success
Answer: No! Some individuals are preferred!
Snapdragon Experiment
5. Did population evolve (did allele frequencies change over generations)?
Yes! Frequency of white flowers increased slightly in the population.
Natural Selection for Beak Size in Darwin’s Finches
1. Are finch beaks variable?
Yes! Ground finches vary in size. (All individuals were banded and measured).
Natural Selection for Beak Size in Darwin’s Finches
2. Is trait adaptive?
Yes! Birds with larger beaks can crack larger, tougher seeds than birds with smaller beaks, which have to eat smaller seeds
Natural Selection for Beak Size in Darwin’s Finches
3. Is variation in beak size heritable?
Yes! There are allele differences in beak size.
Natural Selection for Beak Size in Darwin’s Finches
Do individuals vary in survival and reproductive success (fitness)?
Yes!
Natural Selection for Beak Size in Darwin’s Finches
During drought, only large seeds are available
Birds with smaller beaks can’t eat them, so they starve
Significant change in beak size due to natural selection can be observed over just one generation
The Nature of Natural Selection
- Natural Selection acts on individual organisms (they are either selected or not)
- But change is seen in population characteristics over time
- Natural Selection acts on phenotypes
- But evolution consists of changes in allele frequencies
- Natural selection does not look to the future!
- Organisms do not plan for their evolutionary future!
- Evolution is always “behind the curve”
- Natural selection acts on existing traits
- However, new traits can evolve
- Selection acts on individuals
- NOT for the good of the species
The Nature of Natural Selection
new traits can evolve
- Mutations can produce new alleles
- Meiosis and fertilization shuffle the possible allele combinations to create new genotypes
The Nature of Natural Selection
Natural selection is not perfect:
Genes may affect multiple traits
Selecting for one trait may affect another in a different way
How does evolution work?
Ecological processes are visible
- Birth
- Death
- Feeding
- Competition
- Predation
Evolutionary processes tend to be invisible
We see the products of evolution, not the process
How does evolution work?
Evolutionary machinery =
= mechanism of evolution
- Genetics
- Natural selection
- Molecular evolution
- Speciation
- Extinction
How does evolution work?
What’s at the core?
Genetics is at the core of evolution
- Variation of genome
- Transmission of genetic info
Gregor Mendel (1822-1884)
First to describe how heredity works
Pea plants
Haploid
One copy of the whole genome
Diploid
Two copies of the whole genome
Polyploid
Multiple copies of the whole genome
Bacterial cell
There is no nucleus in bacteria, and the genome is a large, double-stranded, closed circle of DNA, without packaging.
Eukaryotic cell
In eukaryotic cells, the DNA is packaged in linear chromosomes, usually more than one chromosome for each cellular genome. Eukaryotic cells have their DNA wrapped around a backbone of proteins called histones.
Chromosome
= bundle of DNA
Genome
= an organism’s complete set of DNA (all chromosomes)
Locus/loci
= locations of particular genes
Gene
= region of DNA (that codes for a protein)
Alleles
= alternative forms of a gene at a given locus
How does genetic variation arise?
Chromosomes recombine during meiosis
- “Crossing over”
- Ends (“feet”) break off
- “Feet” recombine with other “legs”
- Foot/leg recombinations are random
How does genetic variation arise?
Law of Independent assortment
Genes on non-homologous chromosomes assort independently of each other
Different gametes can be produced from the same sets of chromosomes
How does genetic variation arise?
Fertilization occurs?
Randomly
- Many sperm are available, only one gets to pair with each egg
- Which sperm wins is random
How does genetic variation arise?
Mutations
- Point mutations
- Frameshift
- Inversions (Translocations)
- Duplications (and deletions)
- Genome Duplications
Mutations: Point mutations
One nucleotide is replaced (e.g. adenine replaces a thymine)
Description: Base pair substitutions in DNA sequences.
Mechanism: Chance errors during DNA synthesis or during repair of damaged DNA.
Significance: Creates new alleles
Mutations: Chromosome Inversions (Translocations)
“Flips” a piece of chromosome so gene order along chromosome changes
Description: Flipping of a chromosome segment, so order of the genes along the chromosome changes.
Mechanism: Breaks in DNA caused radiation or other insults.
Significance: Alleles inside the inversion are likely to be transmitted together, every unit.
Mutations: Duplications (and deletions):
Duplication of a short piece of DNA
Description: Duplication of the short stretch of DNA, creating an extra copy of the sequence.
Mechanism: Due to unequal crossing over during meiosis or retrotransposition.
Significance: Redundant new genes may acquire new functions by mutation.
Mutations: Genome Duplications
Duplication of entire genome
Description: Addition of a complete set of chromosomes.
Mechanism: Errors in meiosis or (in plants) mitosis.
Significance: May create new species; Massive gene duplication.
Effects of mutations in the real world…..
HIV infection process
(look at slide #75)
- HIV virion
- Binding
- Fusion
- DNA synthesis
- DNA splicing
- Transcription
- Translation
- New virion assembly
- Budding
- Muturation
How the Immune System Fights a Viral Infection
A
-Dendritic cells capture a virus and prevent bit of its proteins to naive helper T cells. Once activated, these naive cells divide to produce effector helper T cells. (76)
How the Immune System Fights a Viral Infection
B
- Effector helper T cells help stimulate B cells displaying the same bits of viral protein to mature into plasma cells, which make antibodies that bind and in some cases inactivate the virus.
- Effector helper T cells also help activate killer T cells, which destroy host cells infected with the virus. (77)
How the Immune System Fights a Viral Infection
C
-Most effector T cells are short lived, but a few become long-lived memory helper T cells. (78)
Immune system cells vulnerable to HIV:
Macrophages, effector helper T cells, and memory helper T cells all have CD4 and CCR5 proteins on their cell membranes. These proteins are HIV’s entry point into the host.
HIV infection timeline
- After initial infection, viral load increases rapidly, plummets, then gradually rises over time (years)
- In acute stage, CD4 T-cell numbers crash, rebound, then decline over the long term (years)
- Immune system is activated in acute stage, then plateaus at a high level over the long term (years)
How HIV Causes AIDS
HIV activates the immune system directly AND indirectly. Immune response and damage are ongoing. Eventually, the immune system is exhausted and can no longer function properly. This is the beginning of full-blown AIDS. (81)
AZT
- HIV’s reverse transcriptase uses nucleotides from the host cell to make a DNA strand complementary to the HIV virus’ strand.
- The anti-AIDS drug AZT mimics a normal nucleotide (T), but lacks an attachment site for the next nucleotide in the chain. AZT therefore blocks replication of the HIV virus.