Name: Class: Date:

CHEAT SHEET EVOLUTION

Adaptations
All organisms have characteristics that allow them to survive in their environment.
An adaptation is an inherited trait that helps an organism to survive and reproduce in its own environment.
An adaptation may change an organisms shape, structure, chemical processes or behavior.
Adaptations are the result of differences that occur in genetic material.
Adaptations allow a species to become better able to survive in its environment over a long period of time.

Charles Darwin
In 1831, Darwin began a journey as a crewmember on a ship called the HMS Beagle that was to map the coastline of South America
On his journey, Darwin observed a high diversity of living things, fossils of ancient organisms and species unique to SA.
On the Galapagos Islands, Darwin noted that the species there were noticeably different than mainland species. Darwin also noticed that
similar species on different islands had different adaptations to fit their different habitats
Darwin reasoned that species arrived from the mainland, but due to different environmental conditions the species gradually changed over
many generations to become better adapted to the new conditions.
The gradual change in a species over time is called evolution (not a single individual, but the entire group)
Darwin proposed that evolution occurs by a process he called natural selection.

Natural Selection
Natural selection is the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce
than other members of the same species.
Natural selection relies on a number of key factors:

Limited resources in an environment. Competition between individuals over limited resources.

Overproduction of individuals Adaptations conferring greater fitness to some.
Variation among individuals of the same species. Natural selection of individuals with greater fitness.
Darwin proposed that natural selection leads to changes in a species over a long period of time.
Helpful variations (adaptations) will gradually accumulate in a species, while unfavorable ones disappear.
Large organisms tend to evolve slowly, since they have a low reproductive rate.
Small organisms tend to evolve more rapidly, because there can be many generations in a shorter period of time.
Example: antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Bacteria reproduce every 20 minutes, giving greater chance that a mutation conferring
resistance will arise in a population.

Other Types of Selection

Selection occurs differently in different conditions.
Artificial selection is the selective breeding of species by humans to increase desirable traits. (i.e. breeds of dogs)
Sexual selection involves the selection of traits based on their value in courtship and mating. (i.e. large feathers in peacocks)
Directional selection involves the selection of extreme forms of a particular trait. (i.e. dark pepper moths in sooty areas)
Stabilizing selection is when extreme phenotypes are selected against in favor of the average. (i.e. human height)
Disruptive selection is when both extreme phenotypes are selected. (i.e. clams with white and purple shells)

Evidence for Evolution
Evolution is supported by 3 main areas:
Type of Evidence Description Diagram

Fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds all share a

similar body plans, suggesting a common ancestor.
Fossils & Homologous structures are similar structures that have
Homologous been inherited from a common ancestor.
Structures When fossils are arranged in order of their age, the fossil
record shows a series of anatomical changes that occurred
over time
Closely related species show similar DNA sequences.
The less related, the less similarity.

DNA and Genetic

Evidence

Vertebrate animals all look very similar in the early stages

of fetal development, suggesting a common ancestor.
Fetal Development
/ Embryology

Types of Evolution
Microevolution evolution that occurs within the species level; results from genetic variation and natural selection within a population
antibiotic resistance
pesticide resistance
Macroevolution evolution that occurs between different species; focuses on how diverse groups of organisms change
convergent evolution two species evolve similarly (e.g. body shape of dolphins and sharks)
divergent evolution when a group from a specific population develops into a new species (e.g. humans and monkeys)
adaptive radiation a group of species adapt separately to environments
speciation formation of a new species
geographic isolation physical barrier divides a population, results in individuals that cannot mate, leads to a new species
reproductive isolation genetic mutation or behavioral change that prevents mating between related species