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EVOLUTION Speciation Selection Notes

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12 views3 pages

EVOLUTION Speciation Selection Notes

Uploaded by

r ragbir
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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EVOLUTION

VARIATION

Genetic variation refers to the genetic makeup of organisms that is different in all organisms except for clones. Genetic
variation is inherited and differences may be small or large.
The environment also plays a role in the phenotype of an organisms. E.g. 2 identical plants where 1 is placed in soil
watered regularly while the other is placed in unwatered soil.
Variation therefore is the result of genotype (genetic makeup) and the environment. Genetic variation ensures survival of
a species if the environment changes drastically. There are 2 types of variation:
 CONTINUOUS VARIATION
This is where there is a complete RANGE of measurements from one extreme to the other for a particular characteristic.
The differences are slight and grade or merge into each other so individuals do not fall into distinct categories. It is
controlled by a lot of genes. A smooth bell curve is produced for the data
 DISCONTINUOUS VARIATION
This is where differences for a characteristic are separate and clear cut, do not grade or merge into each other and there are
no intermediates. It is controlled by a few genes. A bell curve is not produced for the data.

CONTINUOUS VARIATION DISCONTINUOUS VARIATION


Leaf size Blood type
Human skin colour Tongue rolling
Human foot length (cm) Eye colour/ colour blindness
Hair length in wolves/ humans Ear lobe
Height in humans Sex
Intelligence Presence or absence of horn in cattle
SPECIES
The BIOLOGICAL SPECIES CONCEPT states that a species is a group of organisms that are closely related and are able
to interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
When 2 unrelated species mate, their offspring are not viable or fertile
e.g A donkey and a horse mate to produce an infertile mule (donkey and horse belong to different species)
A zebra and a donkey mate to produce a zebronkey (zebra and donkey belong to different species)

SPECIATION
How do different species arise?

1. PHYSICAL/GEOGRAPHICAL ISOLATION
This can cause speciation and reproductive isolation due to physical barriers such as mountains, deserts, rivers etc.
e.g If there is 1 species of spider in an area and a river is diverted to flow through that area, the 2 populations of spiders
would be separated since spiders cannot swim. Over time, the spiders become adapted to their conditions on either side of
the river, food available, climate etc. They are reproductively isolated and there is no gene flow between them. They
become genetically different due to their adaptations to different environments.
If the river is diverted again and they are no longer separated, the 2 populations would be unable to reproduce to produce
fertile offspring. Their genes would now be very different and there would be 2 different spider species living in that
environment.

2. ECOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
This can cause reproductive isolation if different parts of a population occupy different niches. E.g if one lives in the tree
top while another lives on the forest floor.
e.g in the Bahamas there are 2 populations of mosquitofish. One has a larger, more powerful tail than the other. The fish
with the larger tail lives where there are predatory fish that will feed on the mosquitofish.
The fish with the smaller tail lives where there are no predatory fish. Studies show that larger tails allows fish to escape
predators and because each fish chooses the same type to mate with, all offspring will inherit large tails and be able to
escape predators also.

3. BEHAVIOURAL DIFFERENCES
This can prevent reproduction due to behavioral isolation if for e.g one part of a population becomes active at night while
the other is only active at day. Even though they are in the same area they will be unable to reproduce due to behavior.
NATURAL SELECTION AND EVOLUTION
This is when organisms survive, reproduce and evolve due to their suitability to for the environment and is known as
“survival of the fittest”. They are selected FOR by the environment. Individuals surviving, have traits that are
advantageous over there organisms. These traits are passed down to their offspring. Since these organisms survived based
on their possession of genes that gave them an advantage in a particular environment and they survived by natural means,
they have a high chance of survival in the wild.
Genetic Variation therefore allows organisms with the best suited traits for an environment to survive (natural selection)
and pass on those traits. If organisms weren’t genetically different, entire populations would be wiped out.
e.g. LONG NECKS IN GIRAFFES
When food was in short supply, only giraffes with longer necks could reach food and survive. Due to this, only those with
that advantageous trait (longer necks) survived, mated and produced offspring, all of which inherited long necks. This
lead to all giraffes being long necked today.
PEPPERED MOTH
Originally a pale coloured moth found camouflaged on lichen covered trees in England. Predators found them difficult to
spot. During industrialization, pollution blackened the tree trunks. They became spotted easily by predators, while the rare
black moth was better camouflaged. This increased the number of black moths and decreased the pale moths.
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN BACTERIA

ARTIFICIAL SELECTION
This is different from natural selection, in that advantageous traits are not selected for by the environment, but by
Humans. People decide what traits are beneficial and mate organisms accordingly, to get an organism with the desired
outcome. This is also known as selective breeding. Because the organisms created are done so by humans, they may not
have a high chance of survival in the wild as in natural selection.
It is normally practiced to get a higher yield in crops, improved quality, faster growth rates, and greater disease resistance
in some.

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