General Biology 2

Module 6
Evolutionary Thoughts
 SHS

General Biology 2
Module 6
Evolutionary Thoughts
 What I Need to Know

Hello my dear friend! How are you? Look around you. Is it amazing that you
are able to witness the beauty and complexity of the environment and diversity of
organisms.

Most Essential Learning Competency:

The learners shall be able trace the development of evolutionary thought.

(STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-11)

After going through this module, you are expected to:

a. enumerate the scientists and cite their respective contributions in the
b. development of evolutionary thought;
c. describe Jean Baptiste Lamarck’s hypothesis on evolutionary change;
d. discuss Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection; and
e. explain the Modern Synthesis as the unified theory of evolution

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 What’s In

Directions: Try to remember the different concepts that cause biodiversity in

evolution; answer the following questions.

A. Define speciation
B. Enumerate the different modes of speciation.
C. Define evolution?

What’s New
This lesson will take you to a historic voyage that has changed our view of life
history. Come and join me in this exploration and discover what Charles Darwin has
written about how species evolve through the course of time! This will allow you to
understand how organisms evolve to what they are today.

To give you an idea for the new lesson;

Directions: Write 1 to 2 sentences about this following questions:

A. Is there an animal that survived mass extinction?

B. How Dinosaurs Went Extinct?

1. Is it possible to resurrect an organism (by cloning) whose DNA was sucked

by the mosquito?

2. What period did most dinosaurs become extinct? How could a dinosaur
possibly escape the fate suffered by other organisms?2. What period did
most dinosaurs become extinct? How could a dinosaur possibly escape the
fate suffered by other organisms.

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The Origins of Evolutionary Thought

How did life forms occur?

There are many different theories which explain how different life forms exist.
In the mid- 18th century, most people believed in creationism. Creationism held the
idea that all forms of life were created in its present form and they remain
unchanged since the beginning. Do you know that even the famous Carl von
Linnaeus, the Father of Taxonomy, believed in the fixity of species? George Louis
Leclerc, known as Count Buffon, was a French naturalist who first described descent
with modification such as environmental influences, migration, geographical
isolation and the struggle for existence. However he was hesitant in sharing his idea
to the public.

In the late 18th century, Georges Cuvier, a vertebrate zoologist and

palaeontologist proposed the theory of catastrophism. One day he had observed that
a particular region showed a succession of life forms in the soil layers. His
observation seemed to contradict with his belief in special creation of each species.
Cuvier explained that there might have been violent and sudden natural
catastrophes such as great floods, tectonic earthquakes, and rapid formation of
mountain chains, which resulted to death and extinction of most plants and animals.
After each catastrophe, God created new sets of life forms.

In contrast to catastrophism, James Hutton and Charles Lyell believed that

natural forces now changing the shape of the earth’s surface have been operating in
the past much the same way. This idea is known as uniformitarianism - large
geological changes occurred not in catastrophic events but by gradual accumulation
of small geological changes over long period of time.

Jean Baptiste de Lamarck was the first biologist to believe that life forms
evolve. He proposed the Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics, which is also called
Lamarckian Evolution. He believed that every organism has the will to survive, and
that will has allowed us to change to more advantageous traits that suit us to the
environment. The acquired traits are then inherited by the next generation. One
example that Lamarck gave is the elongation of giraffes’ necks over time because
animals stretched their necks to reach for food and then passed on a long neck to
their offspring. Today, Lamarck’s idea was proven to be incorrect. Phenotypic
changes acquired during an organism’s lifetime cannot pass onto next generations
common ancestor. Because we all share a common ancestor, we are all related to one
another no matter how different we are. The relationships among organisms can be
illustrated on a family tree. Look at the illustration below.

Who is Charles Darwin? How did he think species evolve?

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 Charles Darwin was only 22 years old when he got a chance to set sail aboard
the Beagle, to travel around the world and map the coasts of South America. He was
an assistant for Captain Robert Fritz Roy. His Beagle voyage allowed him to develop
a theory that would contradict the special creation of every organism and imply that
all species evolve from common ancestors through a process called natural selection.

While on his visit to Galapagos Islands, he had observed that organisms are
geographically distributed and isolated on the separate islands. He noted that
similar animal types show distinct differences in body form and functions from
island to island. He explained that these differences represent adaptations to
differing environment living organisms sit like leaves at the tips of the branches of
the Tree of Life. Living things share a common ancestor. All organisms are related to
one another no matter how different they seem.

Theories related to Evolution

Creationism is the idea that living things are created and remains
unchanged since the beginning.

Catastrophism is the idea that violent and sudden natural catastrophes

have resulted to death and extinction of most plants and animals. After each
catastrophe, God created new sets of life forms.

Uniformitarianism claims that large geological changes occurred not in

catastrophic events but by gradual accumulation of small geological changes over
long periods of time

EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION

Evidences of evolution

Fossils are remains of ancient organisms trapped in rocks, tar pits, frozen in
ice or embedded in amber. The activities and behavior of ancient life forms also left
behind fossil traces (such as footprints, dungs, gastric stones, nests and burrows)
which scientists can study. The records found in the rocks show a gradual
evolutionary descent from simpler to more complex life forms. Paleontologists use
the fossils found in rocks to track the evolutionary history of many organisms..

As the climate changed to drier conditions, foliage plants were replaced by

grass fields. Those with the characteristics suited for this (tooth structure fit for
eating hard, dry grass) survived better. The forced grazers also became runners
(with longer leg bones and lesser toes) to be able run more efficiently in the hard
ground and to escape from predators

Evidences from structure

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 Structures in different organisms can be compared to infer common lineage.

HOMOLOGOUS STRUCTURES are structures with the same set of bones that
presumably evolved from a common ancestor. They appear different and may have
varied functions.

ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES are structures that perform the same function

but have very different embryological development or set of structures like bones
VESTIGIAL STRUCTURES are structures or attributes that have lost most of its
ancestral function in more recent species.

Evidences from embryology

Embryology is the study of the development of an organism from an embryo

to its adult form. Common structures are shared in the embryo stage and disappear
by the time the embryo reaches the juvenile or adult form.

Evidences from molecular biology

Many organisms have similar molecules of life (RNA, DNA, proteins) that
suggest descent from a common ancestor with modifications. The near universality
of the genetic code reflects an evidence of common ancestry and relatedness and can
be inferred from the similarities in the DNA sequences between and among
organisms. Biogeography is the study of geographical distribution of fossils and
living organisms. Organisms usually arise in areas where similar forms already exist.
Similar organisms may also be found I different locations which could mean that the
two places were previously connected.

What’s More

How did the data from biogeography, comparative morphology, comparative

embryology, helped in making a unified theory of evolution?

What I Have Learned

Give the contributions of these early scientists in shaping and developing

evolutionary thoughts;

A. Carolus Linnaeus

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 B. Thomas Malthus

C. Georges Cuvier
_

D. James Hutton

E. Charles Lyell

What I Can Do
Directions: On a separate piece of paper (1 whole short bond paper) explain
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Make sure that you will be
able to include the following in your discussion:

a. Descent with modification

b. Existence of variation
c. Struggle for existence
d. Artificial selection, natural selection and adaptation

How do evidences happening in recent times support Evolutionary ideas?

1. COVID virus believe to have evolve from other Respiratory viruses

2. Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

Criterion Excellent (5) Very Satisfactory (4) Satisfactory (3)

Rubrics for rating your answer: Answers are not
Answers are Answers are partial or
comprehensive or
comprehensive, incomplete. Key
completely stated.
Content accurate and points are not clear.
Key points are
complete. Question not
addressed, but not
adequately answered
well supported.
Key ideas are
Displays one to three
clearly stated, Displays one to three
errors in spelling,
Organization explained, and errors in spelling,
punctuation.
well supported. punctuation
Well organized.

Writing Well organized, Displays two to three Displays more than

conventions coherently errors in spelling, three errors.

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 developed, and punctuation,
easy to follow grammar, and
grammar, and sentence structure.
sentence
structure.

Summative Test

Directions: Choose your answer from the given choices. Write your answer on a
piece of paper.

1. Which of the following statements does NOT describe Darwin’s theory of natural
selection?

I. Members of a population will compete.

II. III. IV.
Members of a population have heritable variation Populations tend to reproduce in small

A. I and II only
B. II and III only
C. III and IV only
D. I and IV only

2. Which of the following describes indirect evidences for evolution?

I. Consist of inferred observation

II. Consists of actual observation
III. Those actually observed by old folks
IV. Something that does not involve actual observation of
evolution but consist of inferred observation

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only

3. Does mutation cause a gene pool for two population?

A. Yes, because of a common descendant.
B. No, because of different environment.
C. No, because their descendants vary also
D. Yes, there are similarities among the members of the population.

4 Which of the following describes mutation?

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 A. Change in gene pool due to unpredictable situation
B. A result of inbreeding and chromosomes were destroyed
C. It is a change in the structure of chromosomes due to external factors
D. It is a differential survival due to continuous reproduction of organisms

5. What agent of evolutionary change can result to a population whose members

are alike in appearance, fitness and lifestyles?

I. Inbreeding II. Gene flow

III. Hybridization IV Cross pollination

A. I and II only
B. III and IV only
C. I, III and IV only
D. II, III and IV only

6. What is genetic drift?

A. A change in gene pool due to chance to be alone.
B. The differential survival and reproduction of organisms
C. A mechanism that increases variations in the population
D. A change in the structure of chromosomes and gene composition

7. Which type of speciation requires a geographical barrier?

I.Allopatric II. Convergence

III. Divergence IV. Sympatric

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. III and IV only

8 What does it mean by direct evidence for evolution?

A. Consists of observations of actual event of evolution
B. Does not involve direct observation of evolution
C. Is something that is not actually observed
D. Something that is actually observed

9. Catastrophism, meaning the regular occurrence of geological or meteorological

disturbances(catastrophes), was Cuvier's attempt to explain the existence of
A. Evolution
B. The fossil record
C. Uniformitarianism
D. Process of natural selection

10. Which of the following represents an idea that Darwin learned from the writings
of Thomas Malthus?

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 A. Environment is responsible for natural selection.
B. Earth changed over the years through a series of catastrophic
upheavals.
C. Populations tend to increase at a faster rate than their food supply
normally allows.
D. Technological innovation in agricultural practices will permit
exponential growth of the human population into the foreseeable
future.

References

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CHED-PNU. 2016. General Biology 2 Teachers' Guide. Manila, June. education,

Department of. 2014. EASE Module. Pasig City.

http://www.boundless.com/biology textbook. Accessed 06 08, 2020.

http:/www.evolution/berkeley.edu. Accessed June 2020.

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