Neo- Darwinism

• It is also known as modern synthetic theory of evolution.

• Darwin theory was supported by Wallace, Weismann, Mandle & Haeckel.
• It is modified theory of Darwin, so it is called modern synthetic theory of
evolution. This theory put forward by Huxley, Haldane, Fisher, Sewell
Wright & Hugo de Vries. Neo Darwinism consists of following postulates:
1. Mutation – It is sudden change in organism & proposed by Dutch
Botanist Hugo de Vries. The mutation are of 2 types:
oChromosomal mutation: Mutation caused due to the change in number of
chromosome.
oGene mutation: Mutation caused due to change in gene.
2. Genetic recombination – It is the process of recombination or
reshuffling of gene in between different organism. Due to the increase
& decrease in gene the development of new organism take place. This
process occurs in sexual reproduction, meiosis cell division & crossing
over process.
3. Natural selection – The quality & nature of organism is determined by
natural selection theory of Darwin. This process is regulated by
competition or struggle of organism (intraspecific, interspecific &
environment). The example of natural selection are DDT resistance
mosquito, industrial melanism & sickle celled anaemia.
4. Isolation – Separation & prevention of animals for mating due to
creation of some barriers. The barriers may be physical (geographical,
ecological isolation) & biotic isolation (physiological, mechanical &
genetic isolation), etc. The isolation prevent interbreeding among
individuals. Isolation are of different types. They are:
➢Geographical isolation: By creating physical barrier between two different
population prevents mating. So, it prevents interbreeding & produce a
population called allopatric.
➢Reproductive isolation: It prevents interbreeding in between two different
species. This process is done by prezygotic mechanism (prevent mating &
fertilization in between interspecies) & postzygotic mechanism (prevent
maturation in interspecies offspring).
5. Genetic drift – It is also known as Sewell Wright effect. This theory states
that the loss or elimination of gene of certain traits when one population
migrates or dies. It is also known as change in a gene frequency in a
small population. Bottleneck experiment