UNIT 3: Evolution

Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution

What are the natural and artificial processes
that result in the variation seen within and
among species?

Chapter 8: Developing a Theory of Evolution

Chapter 9: Evolution and Speciation

UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution

7: Introducing Evolution
Birds are a diverse group of animals. Traits from beak to
colour to nutrition are adapted to the environment in which
they live and reproduce.
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

7.1 Adaptation and Variation

Extinct species have disappeared from Earth completely, and all
species face this possibility. The diversity of the organisms within a
species, their behaviour, and their interactions with the environment
explain how and why some species survive and some do not.
(A) Camouflage allows this stick
insect (Eurycnema goliath) to
blend in with its environment and
avoid being eaten by predators.
(B) Many owls such as this barn
owl (Tyto alba) can sneak up on
their prey because of another
adaptation: fluffy feathers make
their flight quite silent.

Adaptations of structure, behaviour, or a physiological process give

some organisms within a species a better chance of survival than
those without the adaptations. This survival advantage allows those
organisms to reproduce and pass on their adaptations.
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

Adaptations and Survival

Adaptations are the result of a process of gradual, accumulative
changes that help an organism survive and reproduce. These
changes are the result of random, heritable mutations in DNA that
accumulate over generations.

The variations within a species are

the structural, functional, or
physiological differences between
individuals. As a variation becomes
more common, it will be considered
to be a trait or a characteristic of the
population.
Interaction with the environment determines
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whether a variation is positive or negative for
the individual organism.
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

Mimicry
Mimicry is a type of structural adaptation. Harmless species
physically resemble a harmful species. Predators avoid the
harmless species as much as they do the harmful one.

Organisms with the structural

adaptation of mimicry, such as the
viceroy butterfly (top), have
coloration or structures that are
similar to harmful or bad-tasting
species, such as the monarch
butterfly (bottom).

What kind of adaptation is camouflage?

UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

The English Peppered Moth:

From Variation to Adaption
The English peppered moth (Biston betularia) is an excellent
example of how the proportions of some inherited
characteristics in a population change in response to changes
in the environment. Those changes are viewed as
evolutionary adaptations.
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

Variation Within Species

Variation is created by the different combinations of genetic
information (alleles) that offspring inherit from their parents.
The original source of all those different alleles is mutation. A
mutation is a permanent change in the genetic material of an
organism and is the only source of new genetic variation. This
is only true if the mutation alters the DNA in a gamete, so that
DNA can be passed on to offspring.

The kittens in this litter

have different fur
colour and patterns,
partly because each
kitten inherited a
different combination
of alleles from its
parents.
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

Selective Advantages
A selective advantage is a genetic advantage that improves an
organism’s chances of survival in terms of both survival in a
changing environment and reproduction. This advantage arises
from a mutation that has become beneficial, even if it was a
disadvantage at first.

Some populations of
Daphnia have a mutation
that allows them to survive
at higher-than-normal
water temperatures.

Continued…
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

Selective Advantages
Species that reproduce quickly adapt quickly to changing conditions.
Bacteria and some insects reproduce quickly enough that any mutated
allele that could be an advantage is passed on to help the population
survive.
Example: Staphylococcus aureus bacteria
Antibiotics are used to treat patients with bacterial infections.
However, S. aureus reproduces every 30 minutes, so new alleles that
provide protection from the antibiotics quickly arise in the population.
The organisms that have the advantageous allele survive and pass that
allele on to the next generation. Eventually, all the surviving bacteria
are resistant to that antibiotic.

These Staphylococcus aureus

bacteria appear to be identical, but
some may have a mutation that
makes them resistant to antibiotics.
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.1

Section 7.1 Review

UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

7.2 Natural Selection and Artificial Selection

Natural selection describes the process of change in the
characteristics of a population of organisms over many generations.
This change happens because individuals with certain inherited traits
survive specific local environmental conditions and, through
reproduction, pass their alleles on to their offspring. If an organism
produces offspring that also survive to reproduce, that organism is
said to be fit for the environment.
Natural selection only occurs if there is genetic diversity within a
population. That diversity arises from random mutations
accumulating in the population. Without genetic diversity, instead of
natural selection enhancing survival, extinction is more likely to
occur.

Continued…
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Natural Selection and Artificial Selection

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UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Selective Pressure
An abiotic (non-living) or biotic (living) environmental
condition can be said to select for certain characteristics in
some individuals and select against certain characteristics in
others. This is how the environment exerts a selective
pressure on a population.
The environmental pressures in this
forest—a dense tree population with little
sunlight reaching the floor—result in
some individual organisms being more
likely to survive than others. Vegetation
and other organisms able to survive in
low light levels will likely reproduce and
pass on their beneficial alleles.

Examples of selective pressures:

• temperature change • change in predators
• light level change • change in competition
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Artificial Selection
Artificial selection is a selective pressure exerted by humans
on populations in order to improve or modify particular traits.
Although humans have been practising artificial selection for
thousands of years with selective breeding techniques, it is
still considered a form of biotechnology because it uses
organisms to produce useful products.

Examples of artificial
selection include:

• cats bred for appearance

• cows bred to increase muscle for meat consumption
• chickens bred to produce more eggs
Continued…
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Artificial Selection
A common example of artificial selection is the food crops produced
from the wild mustard plant. With careful selective breeding, the one
original plant has been developed into many different crops.
These six agricultural
plants look very different
from each other, but they
carry much of the same
genetic material as the
wild mustard plant. The
genetic differences
between them affect the
formation of flowers,
buds, stems, and leaves.

Continued…
Fig. 38-16
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Artificial Selection
The impact of artificial selection can be enormous. In an experiment
begun in 1896, corn was selected for oil content. Corn with the
highest and the lowest oil content were both selected for and allowed
to reproduce. The impact can be seen below.

This graph shows the

results of selective
breeding for oil
content in plants. In
this example, corn
plants were selected
for breeding based on
high or low oil content
of the kernels.

Are these two types of corn still one species? How could
you determine this?
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Consequences of Artificial Selection

When a particular trait is selected for exclusively, often other
traits become negatively affected. For example, English
bulldogs are bred to have flat faces, but, as a result, many of
the breed suffer from respiratory problems.

In addition, artificial selection often decreases genetic

diversity in a population, which makes the population less fit
for environmental changes and natural selection.
Continued…
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Consequences of Artificial Selection

Artificial selection in agriculture is often used in monoculture
planting–where a large area has one type of plant with little genetic
diversity. While a monoculture is easier to manage, there is a high
risk that any environmental change, such as a new disease, could
wipe out the crop.

This monoculture shows

the vast expanse that is
covered by one crop
(wheat), made up of
plants that are artificially
selected to be similar.

Gene banks have been established for some important plant crops.
They include seeds from early, wild versions of the plants that still
include the genetic diversity our modern crops have lost.
UNIT 3 Chapter 7: Introducing Evolution Section 7.2

Section 7.2 Review

UNIT 3 STSE Feature