Introduction to Evolution

• The study of branching evolutionary history is called phylogeny
• taxa relates to categorisation of shared observable traits by species
• Analogous traits are characteristics that are similar in function and appearance but do not originate from a common ancestor
• Homologous traits are characteristics shared by species because they inherited it from a common ancestor
• Traits that evolved independently in different species, often as a response to similar environmental challenges relate to?

  Analogous traits
• Fill in Darwins argument for evolution

  1.     Species belong to populations

  2.     Species all have heritable variation displayed within offspring

  3.     Heritable traits can alter through time

  4.     Predatory competition leads to natural selection

  5.     Natural selection generates adaptations within organisms

  6. There are three kinds of selection: artificial, natural and sexual
• Ultimate explanations refer to the fundamental reason behind something such as the concept of evolution
• Proximate explanations refer to the immediate cause of mechanisms behind something
• A strategy or method which remains constant unchanging regardless of the environment or situation is Static explanation
• The innate vector navigation used by Monarch butterflies, which relies on the sun’s motion and does not adapt based on individual experiences or encounters is an example of a static explanation
• Cognitive maps used by desert ants, which allow for novel shortcuts based on the ant's understanding of its environment, would be considered a dynamic navigational explanation method as it can adapt based on the ant's experiences, memories, and current circumstances.
• Functional Evolutionary= Ultimate static explanations How a behaviour or trait contributes to an organism's survival or reproductive success.
• Causation Mechanistic= proximate static explanation The immediate physical or physiological processes that produce a behaviour or trait.
• Developmental Ontogeny= dynamic proximate explanation. The process of development of an organism and how it influences its behavior or traits.
• Phylogeny Comparative History= Ultimate dynamic explanation. The evolutionary history of a behavior or trait, and how it has been shaped over time through natural selection.
• Adaptation = A characteristic that increases an organisms chances of surviving long enough to reproduce
• Adaptive trait variation based on selective processes include breeding, natural selection, sexual/artificial selection
• Random chance trait variation due to mutation, gene flow, genetic drift
• This is a study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms (species and populations)?

  Phylogenetics
• Migration or dispersal of genes from one population to another?

  Gene flow
• Random chance events (situation, envrionment) cause frequency of traits in a population to sudden change?

  Genetic drift
• Random change in genetic material of the reproductive cells leads to variant alleles in a population?

  Genetics Mutation
• The more similar the DNA genomes; the closer the species must be is an example of?

  Phylogenetics
• The evolution of one trait found multiple times on one phylogenetic tree?

  Homoplastic trait
• Homology is dimilarity due to common descent or shared ancestry
• Homoplasy is similarity due to response to similar environments or challenges there is no common ancestor as species independently evolved similar traits