Intro To Darwinian Evolution Flashcards
Knowledge discovered by mid 1800s
Diversity + Similarity of life
Comparative anatomy
New fossils/geology
What is comparative anatomy?
Similar bone structures in different species
(Arms share structure to wings etc)
Fish/chicken/human embryos
What is diversity and similarity of life?
Different species but similar traits
Emu/ostrich/Rhea
Darwin finches
Fossils and geology
Similar patterns between fossils and living forms from same locale
(Giant ground sloth vs regular sloth)
What did Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon contribute?
Origin of species
(Different species can crossbreed, but are infertile)
Species can produce fertile offspring
What did Charles Lyell contribute?
Theory of uniformity
Observable forces/processes on earth’s surface are the same that shaped earth’s landscape through history
What did Malthus contribute?
Writings
Human individuals produce more offspring than the environment can support
Resource competition for any population
What is population variance?
Variations in population
Variations is the basis for adaptive characters in competition
What is heritable variation?
Adaptive traits that promote survival and reproduction increases the population
Some variation is heritable
New York Pigeon Show 1879
Example of artificial selection in pigeon traits
Artificial selection by animal breeders
Population evolves by natural selection of adaptive traits
What are the published contributions of Charles Darwin?
1859
On The Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection
- evidence to support evolution
- natural selection
What is natural selection?
Survival of the fittest
Reproduction of individuals with favorable traits that survive environmental changes
Four tenets of Darwin
Individuals of species are not identical
Traits passed from generation to generation
More offspring are born than can survive
Only survivors of competition for resources will reproduce
