Darwin and Wallace

• Charles Darwin came up with the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection
• Darwin spent 5 years on a voyage around the world studying plants and animals
• Darwin noticed variation in members of the same species and that those with characteristics most suited to the environment were more likely to survive. He also noticed that characteristics could be passed on to offspring
• Alfred Russel Wallace was a scientist working at the same time as Darwin
• Wallace also came up with the idea of natural selection and worked with Darwin on it
• Wallace's observations provided evidence to help support the theory of evolution by natural selection
• Wallace's observation

  • Warning colours are used by some species (e.g. butterflies) to deter predators from eating them - an example of an advantageous adaptation that had evolved by natural selection
• Darwin's famous book 'On the Origin of Species' made other scientists pay attention to the theory, so Darwin is usually better remembered than Wallace
• Ideas about evolution have influenced modern biology

  The theory of evolution by natural selection is still relevant today
• Modern biology influenced by evolution

  Classification is now much more based on evolutionary relationships
• Modern biology influenced by evolution

  Understanding antibiotic resistance and the importance of finishing a course of antibiotics to prevent resistant bacteria spreading
• Modern biology influenced by evolution

  Constant development of new antibiotics to fight newly-evolved resistant bacteria
• Modern biology influenced by evolution

  Understanding the importance of genetic variation and how it helps populations adapt to changing environments
• Modern biology influenced by evolution


  Conservation projects to protect species due to genetic variation
• Areas of biology influenced by evolution

  • Classification
  • Antibiotic resistance
  • Conservation
• Seedbanks are used to store biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms in an area
• Changes in the environment can mean that species need to evolve to survive in new conditions
• Some species become extinct if they can't evolve quickly enough, reducing biodiversity
• Seedbanks store lots of seeds from different plant species to help conserve biodiversity
• If plants become extinct in the wild, the stored seeds can be used to grow new plants
• Seedbanks help conserve genetic variation by storing seeds from plants with different characteristics
• Stored seeds can produce crops that can cope with pests if needed