lecture 32 Flashcards
What is the pattern of evolution according to darwin?
all living organisms share a common ancestor- we can trace it using DNA, fossils, and geology and display it using Phylogenetic trees
What is the process of evolution according to Darwin?
The mechanism for evolutionary change is Natural Selection On the Origin of Species
Who created the scala naturae or the ladder of life and The Great Chain of Being
Aristotle
How is SARS CoV-2 traced in humans?
daily using a phylogeny of thousands of viruses (5 million)
What is a clade?
an ancestor and all of its descendants
What are the 2 observations of natural selection?
-members of a population often vary in their inherited traits
-All species can produce more offspring than the environment can support, and many of these offspring fail to survive and reproduce
What are the two interferences that are associated with natural selection?
Individuals whose inherited traits give them a higher probability of surviving and reproducing in a given environment tend to leave more offspring than other individuals
-This unequal ability of individuals to survive and reproduce will lead to the accumulation of favorable traits in a population over generations
What is natural selection a correlation of and what does it assume?
the phenotype of an individual and the number of offspring produced by that individual
assumes that the phenotype is heritable (has a genetic basis)
Why is the Theory of Evolution so controversial compared to the theory of gravity or other theories?
-periods of time greater than our own lifetimes are very difficult to imagine
-the lack of purpose in Natural Selection- adaptation is not about progress; it is about becoming better at leaving offspring
-being related to other apes is not appealing to some
-perceived (or actual) direct conflict with religion
-origin of life on earth
