Lecture 2: Development of evolutionary thought Flashcards
Who argued Genera and Species are all natural and organisms can be organized?
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)
Who argued that the earth was gradually shaped by processes still observable today?
Sir Charles Lyell
Who argued species can change over time, giving rise to new species?
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
What are two parts of the transformation theory (Lamarck)?
- Complexifying force
- adaptive force
What did Darwin discover with the Finchs, and what concept did that lead to?
He discovered the finchs’ beaks tweaked to fit their ecological needs which led to descent modification.
What is the Wallace line?
Wallace discovered that animals in certain areas stopped existing past specific locations.
What is a descriptive science?
Category of science that involves descriptive research; aims to observe, explore, and discover.
According to Darwin, how can all life have a single common ancestor (Descent with modification)?
- there is competition for limited resources (Malthus)
- There is variation within species
- Some of this variation relates to fitness
- Some of this variation is heritable
Essentially natural selection
What is natural selection?
Heritable traits that improve fitness will become more prevalent in the successive generations.
What is the modern synthesis?
It is a merger of mendelian genetics with Darwinian evolution.
Genetic mutation forms the basis for variation.
Natural selection provides direction.
