Biology 1201A Lecture 2: Bio 1201A - 12th September Lecture Notes (Vera Tai)
Bio 1201A – Chapter 16
What is evolution?
• How do we explain the huge diversity of life on earth?
• How to explain the underlying common features that organisms possess
• How to explain the continuing changes in species in response to environmental challenges
o EVOLUTION
Evolution: The gradual change of populations or organisms over time (over generations)
• How different kinds of living organisms have developed and diversifies from earlier forms during the history
of earth
• A theory that we have not always known about life on earth
• An important concept
o “Nothing in biology makes sense expect in the light of evolution” - Theodosius Dobzhansky
▪ States that no biological processes make sense without linking it back to evolution
Learning objectives
1. The key pieces of historical evidence indicating that life evolves
2. Faulty explanations for how evolution occurs
3. Darwin’s observations that led to his theory of natural selection
4. Explain how natural selection results in evolution
Evolution is a scientific theory and an explanation that is testable, falsifiable...
Many years ago, we would have thought that life on earth was the same to the day as when the world began
Evidence shows that life is changing overtime – supports the validity of the theory
Aristotle
• Nature has order (Ladder of Life)
Leonardo da Vinci
• Vitruvian Man
• Shows how perfect the human body is – it was divinely created, perfectly and correct
• Thinking about God creating life on earth and made them perfect
Europe in 1490
• Species were created and have not changed
• Organized into a hierarchy... ladder of life
• Humans positioned just below the angels and God
• The world was just a few thousand years old
Then we started to discover the rest of the world...
Evidence for Evolution from Biogeography
• Life is more diverse than we realized
Document Summary
What is evolution: how do we explain the huge diversity of life on earth, how to explain the underlying common features that organisms possess, how to explain the continuing changes in species in response to environmental challenges, evolution. Learning objectives: the key pieces of historical evidence indicating that life evolves, faulty explanations for how evolution occurs, darwin"s observations that led to his theory of natural selection, explain how natural selection results in evolution. Evolution is a scientific theory and an explanation that is testable, falsifiable Many years ago, we would have thought that life on earth was the same to the day as when the world began. Evidence shows that life is changing overtime supports the validity of the theory. Aristotle: nature has order (ladder of life) Leonardo da vinci: vitruvian man, shows how perfect the human body is it was divinely created, perfectly and correct, thinking about god creating life on earth and made them perfect.
