Evolution and Its Components
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What concept suggests that geologic processes occur at a slow rate that is not readily perceived?

  • Common ancestry
  • Gradualism
  • Speciation
  • Uniformitarianism (correct)

    • Which theory emphasizes that all species share a common ancestry?

  • Natural selection
  • Non-selective mechanisms
  • Common ancestry (correct)
  • Gradualism

    • What mechanism does Charles Lyell's theory relate to the processes that shape the Earth over time?

  • Gradualism
  • Non-selective mechanisms
  • Natural selection
  • Uniformitarianism (correct)

    • Which of the following applications of evolution can help in understanding human diseases?

    <p>Understanding bacterial and viral resistance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Jean Baptiste de Lamarck, what drives species to become more complex over time?

    <p>Innate life force</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What idea did William Paley use to compare God to a conscious designer?

    <p>The complexity of well-adapted organisms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which two major themes are presented in the Darwin-Wallace Theory of Evolution?

    <p>Descent with modification and natural selection</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What year was 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection' published?

    <p>1859</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept did Darwin speculate regarding species in 1837?

    <p>Species can arise from a common ancestor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which geographical region were organisms notably observed distinctively as mentioned in the content?

    <p>Australia</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the theory of blending inheritance propose about offspring characteristics?

    <p>Offspring often show intermediate traits between their parents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a criticism of the blending inheritance theory?

    <p>It fails to explain the variation present in species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement accurately reflects Gregor Mendel's theory of particulate inheritance?

    <p>Inherited traits are passed down as distinct particles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Wallace line signify in terms of fauna distribution?

    <p>A zone where distinct species evolve separately.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What key concept in genetics developed after 1900 related to Mendel's work?

    <p>The idea of mutations in genetic particles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What key idea did Anaximander contribute to the understanding of evolution?

    <p>Biological kinds can change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Essentialism, as proposed by Plato, suggest about variations in nature?

    <p>Variations are accidental deviations from an idealized form.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Aristotle's view on species was characterized by which of the following ideas?

    <p>Each species is fixed and immutable.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept did Mayr highlight in his definition of evolution?

    <p>Evolution occurs through genetic turnover within populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Coyne's definition of evolution emphasizes what primary mechanism?

    <p>Natural selection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What hierarchy concept did Aristotle contribute to the understanding of biological organization?

    <p>The Great Chain of Being.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which classification framework was established by Carl von Linne (Carolus Linnaeus)?

    <p>Linnean Classification.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did Thomas Aquinas expand upon Aristotle's Scala Naturae?

    <p>He developed it into The Great Chain of Being.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was Charles Darwin's primary role on the HMS Beagle?

    <p>Assisting the captain as a companion and naturalist</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following works significantly influenced Alfred Russel Wallace's thinking?

    <p>An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What notable experience did Darwin have in Chile in 1835?

    <p>Experienced an earthquake</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about Darwin's observations in the Galapagos Islands is accurate?

    <p>He noted variations in species across different islands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was one of the significant findings during Darwin's expedition to the Cape Verde Islands?

    <p>High volcanic cliffs containing ancient shells and corals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What principle did Darwin suggest influences the preservation of useful variations?

    <p>Inheritance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    During which expedition did Alfred Russel Wallace conduct his research on closely related species?

    <p>Second Expedition: Malayan Archipelago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What theory is Darwin primarily associated with through his studies?

    <p>Natural Selection Theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Evolution

    • Change in genetic properties of groups of organisms through generations.
    • Change in the form and behavior of organisms between generations.
    • Change in heritable traits of biological populations over successive generations.
    • Evolution is best understood as genetic turnover of individuals in a population from generation to generation.
    • Life on Earth evolved gradually from one primitive species, branching out over time, with natural selection being the mechanism for most, but not all evolutionary change.

    Components of Coyne's Definition of Evolution

    • Evolution
    • Gradualism
    • Speciation
    • Common ancestry
    • Natural selection
    • Non-selective mechanisms

    Applications of Evolution

    • Understanding bacterial and viral resistance.
    • Understanding human diseases.
    • Improving domesticates.
    • Conserving wildlife.
    • Understanding human behavior.

    Before Darwin and Wallace

    Anaximander

    • “Biological kinds can change.”

    Plato

    • Essentialism: Variations in nature are accidental deviations from an idealized form (essence) of that object.

    Aristotle

    • Immutability: Each species was created with fixed properties and does not evolve.
    • Perfectly adapted to their environment.
    • Scala Naturae: Organisms are arranged in a hierarchy of increasing complexity and perfection.

    Thomas Aquinas

    • Further developed Scala Naturae into The Great Chain of Being: An ordered hierarchy of entities with God at the top.

    Carl von Linne/Carolus Linnaeus

    • Established the framework for modern classification (Linnean classification) in his work Systema Naturae.
    • Binomial nomenclature (Taxonomy): A two-part naming system that still forms the basis of botanical and zoological nomenclature.

    James Hutton

    • Gradualism: Geologic processes occur at a slow rate, imperceptible to human observation.

    Charles Lyell

    • Uniformitarianism: The natural laws and processes operating in the universe have never changed throughout history.

    During Darwin and Wallace

    Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck

    • Proposed that “an innate life force drove species to become more complex over time, advancing up a linear ladder of complexity related to the great chain of being”.
    • Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics: Proposed that traits acquired during an organism's lifetime could be inherited by its offspring.

    William Paley

    • Compared God to a watchmaker, suggesting that the existence of well-adapted organisms implied a celestial designer.

    During Darwin and Wallace

    Charles Darwin

    • Had a Christian upbringing but was surrounded by freethinkers in his family.
    • Attempted to study medicine but neglected it.
    • Studied BA at Cambridge and passionately collected beetles.

    Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle (1831-1836)

    • Joined the crew of the HMS Beagle to be a companion to the captain and a naturalist.
    • Darwin was amused by reading Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology and catching and observing planktons.

    1832

    • Darwin found evidence of life before and studied the exposed fossils of great mammals in Punta Alta, Argentina.
    • He also found white bands in high volcanic cliffs containing shells and corals in Cape Verde.

    1835

    • Darwin experienced an 8.5 earthquake in Chile.
    • He theorized on the formation of atolls (a chain of islands formed of corals).
    • The Beagle reached the Galapagos Islands and Darwin observed different variations in different islands:
    • Finches varying beak morphologies
    • Tortoises varying carapaces

    1836, October 2

    • The HMS Beagle returned to England.

    1837

    • Darwin speculated on the branching descent of species.
    • Darwin theorized that species could have come from a common ancestor.

    1859

    • On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published.

    Two Major Themes:

    • Descent with Modification
    • Natural Selection: A variational theory of change

    Alfred Russel Wallace

    • Avid reader of:
      • An essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus
      • Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin
      • Principles of Geology
      • Vestiges of the Natural Selection
    • First Expedition: Brazilian Amazon (1848)
      • Wallace journeyed to the Amazon with Henry Walter Bates.
      • He experienced a shipwreck on his way home.

    1852

    • Wallace wrote On the Monkeys of the Amazon.
    • He argued that geographic barriers separate closely related species.

    Second Expedition: Malayan Archipelago Expedition (1854-1862)

    • He was a redundant collector, observing slight differences in similar organisms.
    • He continuously highlighted variation.
    • He developed the Sarawak Law - Similar species will live close to each other.
    • Wallace Line: Marks the most dramatic boundary of faunal distribution on Earth.

    Darwinism (1889)

    • Wallace's main book about natural selection.

    How is Variation Maintained?

    Theory of Blending Inheritance

    • Offspring are often intermediate between their parents in features.
    • Characteristics are inherited like fluids.
      • White x red = pink
      • Pink x pink = pink; Not white or red; Variation decreases.

    Theory of Particulate Inheritance

    • In Gregor Mendel's 1865 paper, Mendel suggested that inheritance was based on particles (genes) that pass unaltered from generation to generation, explaining how variation persists.
    • The concept of “mutation” in such particles developed only after 1900.

    Post-Darwinian (and Wallace)

    • Transformational (Lamarck) vs. Variational (Darwin and Wallace)

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    BIO 140: Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Evolutionary Science PDF

    Description

    Explore the fascinating concept of evolution through its definitions, mechanisms, and applications. This quiz covers key principles including gradualism, common ancestry, and natural selection, while also examining historical perspectives before Darwin and Wallace. Test your understanding of how evolution influences biology and our world today.

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