Evolution and Natural Selection

Why are we so different, yet so alike?

This class will be discussing the HOW we

evolved, not the WHY
How we evolved realm of science
What is our purpose in life realm of religion / philosophy
Evolution does not disprove the existence of a deity / deities

Evolution is the mechanism for the variety of living organisms on Earth.

Yet, this mechanism does not refute religious/spiritual beliefs on the

purpose of life.

Origin of our Universe The Big Bang

Proposed in 1927 by George Lemaitre
Concept: The universe started between 10-20 billion years ago from an
initial explosion.
All of the universes material was contained in the singularity,
After this explosion, the material in the singularity has expanded
outwards, and has since been expanding

Source: Earth:
Portrait of a Planet
2nd Edition

Origin of our Universe The Big Bang

Seconds after the explosion, the first atoms started to form (hydrogen
and helium)
Clouds of hydrogen and helium formed, eventually collapsing on itself
making starts and galaxies
Think of each atom as a mini planet therefore each atoms gravitational pull
caused them to collide and eventually form a large mass.

Origin of our Solar System Nebular hypothesis

The first to form was our Sun, approximately 4.65 billion years ago
A nebular cloud of gas and dust, which was formed due to gravity pulling and
the material collapsing on itself
This ball became hot enough for it to self-ignite (fusion), giving birth to a
starthe Sun!

Horse Head Nebula

Location: In the
constellation Orion
Source: Nasa

Map of the
Constellation Orion
with the stars
labelled

Origin of our Solar System Nebular hypothesis

Disks of dust revolved at different distances around the Sun
Dust disks formed into the planets
The distance you are from the sun determines the type of planet you are!

Origin of Life on Earth

Before life could have evolved, the Earth needed to have all the
conditions for life to feasibly take place:

Develop an atmosphere
Earth to cool down
Water vapour to condense (chemical reactions need liquid water)
Formation of continents (synthesis of molecules also requires a solid surface
to bring substances and water together)

Origin of Life on Earth

All living things are composed of complex molecules
Complex molecules need to synthesize from simple molecules
Newly complex molecules need to bond to form cells
These cells need to replicate into other cells

For this to happen, you need:

Source of energy (the sun, check!)
Liquid water (condensed water, check!)
Lots.and lots.and lots.and lots of time

st
1

living thing on Earth

Single cell bacteria

From there, it just evolved, and evolved, and evolved, and evolved!

st
1

living thing on Earth

This single cell bacterial had all the necessities to be called living
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Made of at least one cell

Uses energy to function
Respond to its environment
Grow/repair
Reproduce

DNA Living things Instruction Manuel

All living things need to encode their information in a way that can:
1. Used by the organism to grow and repair itself
2. Passed down to the offspring

This is done by DNA

Source: ASHG

DNA Living things Instruction Manuel

It is found in the nucleus of cells
It is a two stranded helix with four base pairs
1.
2.
3.
4.

Adenine
Guanine
Cytosine
Thymine

DNA

Computer rendition of DNA strand

DNA

DNA Living things Instruction Manuel

The arrangement of base pairs form genes
A gene is a segment of DNA that has specific information to make
molecules which make organisms

DNA Analogy: Instruction Books

DNA Analogy: Instruction Books

DNA Language which instructions are written in
Bases Letters in the language
Combination of bases Words
Gene A combination of words creating sentence of instructions
Chromosome Chapters in your instruction book
Genome The complete book

Copying cells Mitosis

For DNA to be passed on, it must be copied
Simple organisms (bacteria) practice asexual reproduction; meaning
it reproduces by itself
Mitosis is a form of cell division where the parent cell is identical to
the daughter cell
This is the way the cells in our body grow and repair

Parent Cell

Daughter Cell #1

Mitosis
The parent cell copies
itself, forming two
identical daughter cells

Daughter Cell #2

Copying cells Mitosis

Downfall for reproducing by asexual reproduction little genetic
diversity

Creating Genetic Diversity Meiosis

More complex organisms (humans) practice sexual reproduction;
meaning it requires genetic information from two individuals to
reproduce
This creates new genetic variations in the species

Creating Genetic Diversity Meiosis

For sexual reproduction to take place, special cells called gametes
need to be formed
Sperm in males
Ova in females

These cells have half of the genetic information of the parent cell
When the sperm and ova meet, they will combine to have a full set
of genetic information that is distinct from the parents

Meiosis
The parent cell copies
itself, forming four
genetically different
daughter cells with half
the genetic information of
an organism

Parent Cell

D. C. #1

D. C. #2

D. C. #3

D. C. #4

Meiosis Mechanism to Mutation

Species evolve due to the occurrence of mutation in the genetic code
This provides the raw material for new species to evolve

Mutation: a permanent change in the DNA sequence of an organism

Mutation Leads to speciation.but!

Just because you have a mutation in your sequence doesnt mean you
will be a new species overnight
You have lots and lots and lots and lots of genes in your body that code for
lots and lots of traits

Mutations can cause slight changes in a particular gene

Leading to variations

Mutations can cause a gene to not work

Mutations can cause a gene to completely change
And this needs to take place over a long, long, long time!

Sickle Cell Anemia: Mutation causing slight

change in a gene

Albinism: Mutation causing a gene not to

work

Connie Chiu; Fashion Model

Albino Kangaroo

Albinism

Melanism

Mutations fine, but you need to Select it

A mutation in the population will only stay in the population if it is
selected for it
The mutation needs to give the organism an edge, so that it can
survive in its habitat more than organisms that dont have the
mutation

Mutations fine, but you need to Select it

Its only when you have selected the mutation, does it stay in the
population
Its rounds of mutation and selections that lead to new species
forming
Which, of course, takes lots and lots and lots of time!

Natural Selection is the logical result of

four features of living systems:
1. Variation: Individuals in a population
vary from one another
2. Inheritance: Parents pass on their traits
to their offspring genetically
3. Selection: Some variants reproduce
more than others
4. Time: Successful variations accumulate
over many generations

Peppered Moth Story Modern Day Natural Selection

The man who proposed The Theory of

Natural Selection Mr Charles Darwin

Evidence that Evolution has taken place?

Fossils!
Fossils are remnants of species that existed
We can figure out how old fossils are by how old the rock they are in
is
Mostly all fossils are in sedimentary rock (rock formed by sediment,
like sand and dirt, layering on top of each other)

Evidence that Evolution has taken place?

Fossils!
Key in the fossil record is the law of superposition
In any undisturbed rock sequence, the youngest rock layer is on top and the
oldest rock layer is on the bottom

That means we can figure out how old fossils are based on the layer
of rock they are in (This give us the relative date)
We can figure out for absolute certainty how old a fossil is by
carbon dating

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!!

Dont forget, you have your lab exam next class!
Dont also forget, your science exam is June 8th!
Study hard!