DARWIN’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION
home to the sorts of animals that
-Evolution, or change over time, is
the process by which modern
organisms have descended from
ancient organisms.
-A scientific theory is a well-
supported testable explanation of
phenomena that have occurred in
the natural world.
Voyage of Beagle -Neither Argentina nor Australia was
lived in European grasslands.
LIVING ORGANISMS AND FOSSILS
-Darwin collected the preserved
remains of ancient organisms,
called fossils.
-Some of those fossils resembled
organisms that were still alive today.
Dates: February 12th, 1831 -Others looked completely unlike
Captain: Charles Darwin any creature he had ever seen.
Ship: H.M.S. Beagle -As Darwin studied fossils, new
questions arose.
Destination: Voyage around the
world. FOSSILS
Findings: evidence to propose a
revolutionary hypothesis about how
life changes over time
PATTERNS OF DIVERSITY
Darwin visited Argentina and
Australia which had similar
grassland ecosystems.
-Those grasslands were inhabited
by very different animals.
THE GALAPAGOS ISLAND
-The smallest, lowest islands were
hot, dry, and nearly barren-Hood
Island-sparse vegetation
-The higher islands had greater
rainfall and a different assortment
of plants and animals-Isabella-
Island had rich vegetation.
Animals found in the Galapagos
 Land Tortoises
 Darwin Finches
 Blue-Footed Booby
 Marine Iguanas
Natural Selection & Artificial
Selection
-Natural Variation--differences
among individuals of a species
-Natural selection --is the gradual,
non-random process by which
biological traits become either
more or less common in a
population as a function of -
differential reproduction of their
bearers.
-Artificial selection- nature provides
the variation among different
organisms, and humans select
those variations they find useful.
Evolution by Natural Selection
The Struggle for Existence-members
of each species have to compete
for food, shelter, other life
necessities
Survival of the Fittest
-Some individuals better suited for
the environment
-Ability of an Individual To Survive &
Reproduce
Adaptation
-Inherited Characteristic That
Increases an Organisms Chance for
Survival. (can be physical or
behavioral)
Descent
Descent with Modification-Each
living organism has descended,
with changes from other species
over long periods of time. Ex) body
structures, niches, habitats.
+Common Descent- All species,
living and extinct, were derived
from common ancestors
Divergent evolution: is the process
of two or more related species
becoming more and more
dissimilar.
Ex) Adaptive radiation-When a
single form of life successfully
expands into many environments,
the process is termed "adaptive
radiation."
Convergent Evolution: unrelated
species become more and more
similar in appearance as they
adapt to the same kind of
environment
EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION
The Fossil Record
-Layer show change
Geographic Distribution of Living
Things
-similar environments have similar
types of organisms
Homologous Structures
-structures that have different
mature forms in different organisms,
but develop from the same
embryonic tissue.
Structures of different species
-having similar or corresponding
*Because more organisms are
function but not from the same
produce than can survive, each
evolutionary origin
species must struggle for resources
*Individuals in nature differ from one
another
*Organisms in nature produce more
SUMMARY OF DARWIN’S THEORY offspring than can survive, and
many of those who do not survive
*Individuals in nature differ from one
do not reproduce.
another
*Because more organisms are
*Organisms in nature produce more
produce than can survive, each
offspring than can survive, and
species must struggle for resource
many of those who do not survive
do not reproduce.