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The Puzzle of Life’s Diversity

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1 The Puzzle of Life’s Diversity

2 Charles Darwin sailed around the world on the H. M. S. Beagle in 1831.
Evolution: how modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms

3 Darwin’s Observations
Patterns of Diversity: plants and animals well suited to their environments Why 2 similar ecosystems contain different animals Fossils: preserved remains of ancient organisms. Why species disappeared & relation to living species The Galápagos Islands: the characteristics of many animals and plants varied noticeable among the different islands

4 Important Scientists: Hutton & Lyell
the Earth is many millions of years old the processes that changed Earth in the past are the same processes that operate in the present

5 Important Scientists: Malthus
unchecked human population growth would lead to insufficient living space and food Forces Against Growth War Famine Disease

6 Lamarck’s Evolution Hypothesis
Through selective use or disuse of organs, organisms acquired or lost certain traits Traits could then be passed on to offspring. Led to change in a species. Ideas are flawed; traits are inherited and behavior has no effect heritable characteristics. But organisms are adapted to their environment.

7 Darwin

8 Darwin Completed 25 years of research
Published On the Origin of Species Proposed Natural Selection mechanism for evolution

9 Evolution By Natural Selection
Struggle for existence: member of each species compete regularly for food, living space, and other necessities Survival of the Fittest better suited  survive and reproduce more not well suited  die or leave few offspring

10 Fitness: ability to survive & reproduce
Successful adaptations allow organisms to become better able to survive and reproduce. Natural Selection changes in a population’s inherited characteristics increase a species’ fitness

11 Evidence of Evolution Fossils: observe changes over time
Geographic Distribution: Similar species descended with modifications from a common ancestor Similar embryo development

12 Embryo Development

13 Evidence of Evolution Homologous Structures: structures that have different mature forms but develop from the same embryonic tissue vestigial organs: reduced organs are traces of homologous structures miniature legs/tails appendix


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