Evolution by Natural
Selection
Learning Goals
▪ 1. Define "Evolution" & "Natural Selection".
▪ 2. Describe the steps of Natural Selection,
giving an example of each.
▪ 3. Explain the importance of "Variation".
▪ 4. Explain whether natural selection acts on
the phenotype or genotype of an organism.
▪ 5. Identify the pieces of evidence that
support the Theory of Evolution.
Theory of Evolution
▪ Evolution: The process of change
over time
• Specifically, a change in the frequency
of a gene or allele in a population over
time
Charles Darwin
▪ Father of Evolution
▪ Proposed a mechanism for
evolution, natural selection
▪ Darwin went on a 5-year trip
around the world on the ship,
the HMS Beagle
• As the ship’s naturalist, he
made observations of
organisms in South America
and the Galapagos Islands
•Wrote a book, “Origin of the Species”
Darwin’s Finches
Natural Selection
▪ Natural Selection: Organisms that are
best adapted to an environment survive
and reproduce more than others
Steps of Natural Selection
▪ Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection
occurs in four steps:
• Overproduction
• Variation
• Competition
• Selection
1. Overproduction
▪ Each species produces more
offspring that can survive
2. Variation
▪ Each individual has a
unique combination of
inherited traits.
▪ Adaptation: an inherited
trait that increases an
organism’s chances of
survival
Why is Variation
Important?
▪ Because the environment changes.
▪ The more variation within a species,
the more likely it will survive
• EX: If everyone is the same, they are all
vulnerable to the same environmental
changes or diseases
▪ The more variation of types of
species in an habitat, the more likely
at least some will survive
• EX: Dinosaurs replaced by mammals
3. Competition
▪ Individuals COMPETE for limited
resources:
• Food, water, space, mates
▪ Natural selection occurs through
“Survival of the fittest”
▪ Fitness: the ability to survive and
reproduce
▪ Not all individuals survive to adulthood
4. Selection
▪ The individuals with the best traits /
adaptations will survive and have the
opportunity to pass on it’s traits to
offspring.
• Natural selection acts on the phenotype
(physical appearance), not the genotype
(genetic makeup)
• Ex: When a predator finds its prey, it is due
to the prey’s physical characteristics, like
color or slow speed, not the alleles (BB, Bb)
Survival of the Fittest
▪ Individuals with traits that are not
well suited to their environment
either die or leave few offspring.
▪ Evolution occurs when good traits
build up in a population over many
generations and bad traits are
eliminated by the death of the
individuals.
Peppered Moth A
▪ Which Moth will the bird catch?
B
Descent with Modification
▪ Descent with Modification – each
living species has descended, with
changes, from other species over
time.
▪ Common Descent – all living
organisms are related to one another
Evidence for Evolution:
▪ Fossil Record
▪ Homologous Body Structures
▪ Vestigial Organs
▪ Embryology
▪ Biochemical Evidence
The Fossil Record
▪ Fossils: a record of the history of life
on Earth
Archaeopteryx
▪ Missing link between
reptiles and birds
▪ Pangea: Early earth consisting of
continents closely connected.
Homologous Body
Structures
▪ Homologous Body
Structures: similar
anatomy in
different types of
animals because
of common
ancestor
Vestigial Organs
• Vestigial Organs: “leftover” traces of
evolution that serve no purpose
Embryology- The study of
embryos.
▪ Embryology: embryos of all
vertebrates are very similar early on
Biochemical Evidence
▪ Biochemistry: DNA with more similar
sequences suggest species are more
closely related
• EX: Humans and chimpanzees share
more than 98% of identical DNA
sequences
Coral Snake Milk Snake
(Poisonous) (Not
poisonous)
Stick Mantid
Flower Mantid
