CHAPTER I
WHAT IS EVOLUTION:
AN INTRODUCTION
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Charles Darwin's Voyage and the Theory of Evolution, Lecture notes of Evolutionary biology
An introduction to charles darwin's life, his voyage on the h.m.s. Beagle, and the development of his theory of evolution. It discusses darwin's findings, the historical perspective of evolution, evidence supporting evolution, and the impact of geographical ideas on darwin's thinking. The document also covers the concepts of natural selection, population growth, and the evidence for evolution.
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2023/2024
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CHAPTER I
WHAT IS EVOLUTION:
AN INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1: What is Evolution:
An Introduction
◼ 1.1 Basic Concepts of Evolution
◼ 1.2 Historical Perspective of Evolution
◼ 1.3 Evidence and Importance of Evolution
Voyage of Beagle
◼ Dates: December 27, 1831
◼ Ship : H.M.S. Beagle
◼ Destination: Voyage around the world.
◼ Findings: evidence to propose a
revolutionary hypothesis about how life
changes over time
Patterns of Diversity
◼ Darwin visited Argentina and Australia which had similar grassland ecosystems. ◆ those grasslands were inhabited by very different animals. ◆ neither Argentina nor Australia was home to the sorts of animals that lived in European grasslands.
Patterns of Diversity
◼ Darwin posed challenging questions. ◆ Why were there no rabbits in Australia, despite the presence of habitats that seemed perfect for them? ◆ Why were there no kangaroos in England?
Living Organisms and Fossils
◼ Others looked completely unlike any creature he had ever seen. ◼ As Darwin studied fossils, new questions arose. ◆ Why had so many of these species disappeared? ◆ How were they related to living species?
The Galapagos Island
◼ The smallest, lowest islands were hot,
dry, and nearly barren-Hood Island-sparse
vegetation
◼ The higher islands had greater rainfall and
a different assortment of plants and
animals-Isabela- Island had rich
vegetation.
Animals
The Journey Home
◼ Darwin Observed that characteristics
of many plants and animals vary
greatly among the islands
◼ Hypothesis: Separate species may
have arose from an original ancestor
Ideas that shaped Darwin’s
Thinking
◼ James Hutton:
◼ 1795 Theory of Geological change ◆ Forces change earth’s surface shape ◆ Changes are slow ◆ Earth much older than thousands of years
Lamarck
Population Growth
◼ Thomas Malthus - 19th century English economist ◼ If population grew (more Babies born than die) ◆ Insufficient living space ◆ Food runs out ◆ Darwin applied this theory to animals