GEOL 1003 Lecture : Ch7 Evolution Fossil Record With Notes
Document Summary
A tortoise on isabela island (1 of 7. Galapagos islands inhabited by different species of tortoise) Evolution is the change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. Adaptations: adaptations = specializations of a basic organ (e. g. , tooth) an organism possesses that performs one or more functions. A central concept of evolutionary theory is that the various adaptations evolved from a common origin. Darwin"s contribution: darwin: proposed the concept of common ancestry for diverse organisms with obvious similar features descendants e m i t. Degree of difference the degree of difference through time. Anatomical evidence in embryos in support of common ancestry for vertebrates. Production of offspring with particular genetic traits. Darwin"s challenge: how an organisms passes along a favorable genetic trait to the offspring. Each parent contributes half of genetic material (one half of its chromosome) Mixing by sexual recombination yields new combinations. Genes are chemical structures that can undergo chemical changes called mutations.
