BIOL 3445 Lecture 19: Guest Lecture: Why and How Do We Study Evolution

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1 May 2018
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BIOL 3445.001 | Lecture #19 | 3/27/2018
Why and How Do We Study Evolution?
AND OTHER INTERESTING STORIES
Guest Lecturer: Matt the Grad Student
WHY DO WE STUDY EVOLUTION?
Are we able to predict evolution?
o No, but we are able to learn from the past
Genetic and physiological relationships among variable traits can constrain
evolution
o Lots of animals have died Extinction is a huge part of Earth’s history
o Why do some animals die out while others thrive?
Two things are necessary for evolution to occur:
1. Variation/Heritability
2. Selection
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Female Flower Size in Begonias
o Male flowers offer nectar for bees
o Female flowers imitate male flowers but offer no reward
o The rate at which female flowers are pollinated depends on their ability to
imitate the male flowers
Apple Maggot Flies
o Apples came to America 200 years ago and these flies switched to eating
them between then and now
o Able to track changes in the genes
o
HOW DO WE STUDY EVOLUTION?
Study natural history
Question conventional “wisdom”
Question assumptions underlying popular hypotheses
Draw analogies that transfer questions from field to field or taxon to taxon
Ask “Why not?”
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Document Summary

Are we able to predict evolution: no, but we are able to learn from the past. Two things are necessary for evolution to occur: variation/heritability, selection. Female flower size in begonias: male flowers offer nectar for bees, female flowers imitate male flowers but offer no reward, the rate at which female flowers are pollinated depends on their ability to imitate the male flowers. Apple maggot flies: apples came to america 200 years ago and these flies switched to eating them between then and now, able to track changes in the genes. Draw analogies that transfer questions from field to field or taxon to taxon.

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