MisconceptionsAboutNaturalSelection Misconceptions Abo t Nat ral Selection Todaysquestions: T d ti I.Constraintsonevolutionbynaturalselection I C i l i b l l i II.

Commonmisunderstandings

The average IQ and average height have increased significantly over the past 100 years. Why? -There is not enough information to really understand what caused the changes. -But possible answers include changes were due to gene x environment interactions or changes in allele frequencies. But both of those need genotype datas that we don't really have.

I.Constraintsonevolutionbynaturalselection Whydoesntnaturalselectionproduceperfect adaptations? A. Fitnesstradeoffs

-Inevitable compromises in adaption.

Whydofitnesstradeoffsoccur? 1. Limitedresourcesconsider: egg/seedsizeandnumber

Offsprings that are bigger will take more resource to produce but they might be protected against predators or have other fitness advantages. But if you produce more you will have to make them smaller.

immunesystemfunctionvs.physicalactivity f h l
So you don't expend energy on physical activity and devote them to recovering instead.

Whydofitnesstradeoffsoccur?(continued)

Whatisthesurvivalvs.reproductiontradeoff?
If you keep animals in the lab from reproducing, they will live longer. The resource investment in offspring is extreme. It weakens them and makes them more susceptible to disease, predation, regenerate cells in bodies, etc. Why do males lives are shorter than women? -They take more "risky" decisions.

2. Designconstraints (e.g. why cant Boeing make a 2. Design constraints(e.g.whycan tBoeingmakea planethatisfast,maneuverable,fuelefficient,and capableofcarryingheavyloads?)
-If you carry heavy loads, it is harder to be fast and maneuverable. Fuel efficiency would also take a hit.

Whydofitnesstradeoffsoccur?(continued)

3.Countervailingselection l l Primatebrainsize Primate brain size

-Brain consumes a lot of oxygen. -Bigger brains might mean it takes longer to get information from one side of the brain to another. -Neck problems can arise (structural support. -Harder for females to give birth.

Humanheight
If they're taller, they are less maneuverable.Their heart can't handle the amount of blood that they have to deliver over long distance. Joint problems also can exist.

Brightlycoloredfeathersinwesterntanagers
They might attract more predators. You can test experimentally by dying them and comparing which one suffers from more predation.

B.Historicalconstraints Selectionactsonpreexistingtraits i. Cephalopodeyes

Humans evolved from ancestors with photoreceptors inside the eyes. They have blind spots where the nerves has to go further inside. Cephalopods photoreceptors are on the outside so no blind spots.

ii. Mammalianmiddleear
Structure we have no are all dependent on starting parts.

iii. Humanspineandknees iii Human spine and knees

Historicalconstraints,continued

Ghostofselectionpast:e.g.Whydohumans lovesugar,fat,andsaltsomuch?
Right now important our brain seek them we have a lot of sugar, fat and salt in our diet. Why? They are nutrients. Historically these nutrients were in short supply, so might reward us each time we have them so we're more likely to out.

II.Commonmisunderstandings Evolutionisprogressivespeciesgetlarger,more complex,andbetterovertime complex and better over time

Thestrongestormostsociallydominantindividualsin apopulationhavethehighestfitness

S i Speciesanticipatechangedconditionsandadaptto ti i t h d diti d d tt them;(evolutionisforwardlooking)

 Evolution is random Evolutionisrandom

Beneficialmutationshappenwhentheyareneeded (whentheenvironmentchanges) (when the environment changes)

 Individuals sacrifice themselves and help others for Individualssacrificethemselvesandhelpothersfor thegoodofthespecies.

Selfless alleles will be eliminated and selfish alleles would thrive. You also do things for the good of the families or offsprings, not the population.