Intro and History of Evolution Flashcards
“Nothing in Biology makes sense except in the Light of Evolution”
Theodosius Dobzhansky
Viewed evolution as “a change in the frquency of an allele within a gene pool.”
He postulated the idea that it is through mutations in genes that natural selection takes place.
Theodosius Dobzansky
“Impenetrable thicket of life”
Ford Doolittle
Biologist at Dalhousie University, Canada
Swedish Botanist, Physician and Zoologist
Proposed the science of classifying organisms emerged and formalised the binomial nomenclature, hence he is the ‘Father of Modern Taxonomy’
believed that species are fixed, immutable or created independent of the others.
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)
French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist and encyclopaedic author
Wrote 44-vol natural history (Histoire Naturelle) describing all known plants and animals
evolutionary change influenced by: geographical isolation, overcrowding, and the struggle for existence
believed in separate creation and the fixity of species
Comte de Buffon (1707-1788)
Grandfather of Charles Darwin
His writings in botany and zoology mention the possibility of evolution
based changes undergone by animals during development, artificial selection by humans, presence of vestiges/vestigal organs
Offered no definite theory of evolution
Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802)
French naturalist and zoologist, Father of Paleontology
First to use comparative anatomy to develop a system of classifying animals
advocate of separate creation and fixity of species
Faced a problem with geological evidence showing progression of life forms
Catastrophism through series of world-wide catastrophes causing mass extinctions
George Cuvier (1769-1832)
Provided first coherent theory of evolution
stated that more complex organisms descended from less complex organisms
believed organisms can achieve perfection
plants and animals adapted to their environment
theory on ‘Inheritance of acquired characteristics’ or ‘soft-inheritance’ or ‘use and disuse theory
Jean Baptiste de Lamarck (1744-1829)
Inheritance of acquired characteristics is not possible because the ___ ___ that produce the ___ ___ are ___ ___ from the ___ __ that are present in the body in general.
germ cells, sex cells, entirely separate, somatic cells
British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, and biologist
Father of Biogeography
Theory of natural selection
sent manuscript to Darwin
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)
Authored Principles of Geology
Popularized the Uniformitarianism theory by James Hutton
Believed the cumulative effects of all geological changes and the earth was very old
stressed gradual nature of geographical changes
Charles Lyell
believed the Earth was not static - rather the Earth was subject to cycles of erosion and uplift
Put forward the idea of Uniformitarianism
James Hutton (1726-1797)
Can show evidence of gradual change over time
Fossils in different layers of rock
Each layer may be correlated to certain events in the past
Had a lifelong love of nature
His father wanted him to study medicine, he did not finish it
attended Cambridge University with the intention of leaving the clergy
His mentor and botany professor, John Henslow, recommended him for a position as ship’s naturalist aboard the beagle
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Darwin started out on a ___ year trip around the world aboard the ___ in ___. He was 22.
five, Beagle, 1831
Darwin’s Key Observations (4)
Plants and animals in temperate areas of South America were more similar to tropical South American species than they were to temperate European species.
Fossils found in South America were more like modern South American species than European species.
Read Lyell’s Principles of Geology.
Experienced an earthquake in Chile and observed that the coastline had risen several feet.
Darwin became interested in the ___ ___ of organisms after visiting the ___ islands
geographic distribution, Galapagos
Darwin realized that ___ and ___ were closely linked processes.
adaptation to the environment, the origin of new species
Cactus eater Finch
cactus ground finch (Geospiza scandens)
Seed eater finch
large ground finch (Geospiza magnirostris)
Insect eater finch
green warbler finch (Certhidea olivacea)
Darwin’s idea was in contrast to the prevailing view that ___ and ___ (the ___ of species).
all life had been created and remains unchanged, immutability
the theory Darwin developed to provide a mechanism by which evolution can occur was ___.
nonteleological
Organisms strive towards perfection and on the way, they try to acquire certain characteristics
teleological
