Sz2- Students will explain the evolutionary history of

animals over the geologic history of Earth.

Geologic History
 Geologic time- time that began when earth was
formed until present day
 Important Dates

4.6 billion years ago=Earth

3.8 bya = 1st LIFE
2.0 bya= oxygen in
atmosphere
670 millions of years= 1st
ANIMALS
@500 mya= 1st FISH
@365 mya=1st AMPHIBIANS
@300 mya= 1st REPTILES
@250 mya= DINOSAURS
@200 mya= 1st MAMMALS
@150 mya= 1ST BIRDS
@100 mya= 1st primates
@5 mya= 1st humans
Natural Selection-
 the process by
which individuals
that are better
adapted to their
environment are
more likely to
survive and
reproduce.

 Charles Darwin
 Natural Selection cont.
 Over a long time, natural
selection can modify a
population enough to
produce a new species

 Helpful variations
accumulate in a species
while unfavorable ones
disappear.
 Speciation
 When a group of individuals remain
separated from the rest of the species long
enough to evolve different traits
How Speciation Occurs
 Geographic isolation-
○ Pangaea /Continental Drift
○ Landform isolation- river, mountain, water.
(ex. Squirrels of N. Grand Canyon)

 Competition

 Gene flow

 Environmental change - local adaptation to

local environment
 Speciation of Squirrels -
Grand Canyon
 The Kaibab squirrel (Sciurus aberti kaibabensis, left)
became isolated in the Grand Canyon ~ 10,000 years ago.
Features have gradually evolved that separate it from close
relative, the Abert squirrel (S. aberti aberti)
 Problems with Traditional
Classification
 Traditional relied on body structure comparisons only

 Due to convergent evolution, organisms that are quite

different from each other evolve with similar body
structures

 Convergent Evolution:
process that unrelated organisms independently
evolve similarities when adapting to similar
environments
 Problems with Traditional Classification
Example: The Crab, The barnacle, & The limpet

• The barnacle and the limpet have similarly shaped

shells & look alike

• The crab has a very different body form

• Based on anatomy, the barnacle & limpet could be

classified together and the crab in a different
group.
Related

This incorrect because

crabs and barnacles
are actually related
 Crustaceans Gastropods

Molted Exoskeleton
Even though they do
Segmentation not look a like, crabs &
barnacles are actually
Free swimming Larva related
 Modern Evolutionary Classification
Evolutionary Classification: strategy of
grouping organisms together based on their
evolutionary history, instead of physical features.

***Use DNA and RNA, embryological

development, comparative anatomy to classify
species.
 Modern Three-Domain System
 As scientists further analyzed cell structure and DNA , a
broader category was added:

 The domain is the most inclusive taxonomic category;

larger than a kingdom

 The three domains are:

 Bacteria : kingdom Eubacteria

 Archaea : kingdom Archaebacteria;

 Eukarya :Kingdom Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and

Animalia.
 Genus species
If these three species belong to the same genus,
they are descended from a common ancestor.

Felis domestica

domestica Domestic
Cat

Felis leo

Felis leo Lion

Felis margarita

Sand cat`
margarita
Checkpoint Qs:
1. When did the first animals appear in
geologic time? Humans?
2. What is a theory?
3. What is the process by which evolution
occurs?
4. Why did traditional classification have
to change to evolutionary?
5. What is the most inclusive (broadest)
taxonomic category today?