Class notes
Biology 'evolution' Class Notes
- Course
- Bio120 (BIO120H1)
- Institution
- University Of Toronto (U Of T )
Notes for classes 1-8 for term test 1. Covers natural selection, evidence for evolution, reproduction, and more.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Bio Term Test 1(L1-L8, sim u text 1, readings 1-6)
L1: Intro to Evolutionary Biology
Essential Takeaways:
- Vocabulary: adaptation, biodiversity, evolutionary history, evolutionary mechanism,
microevolution, macroevolution
- Concepts: phylogenetic trees, approaches to studying evolution, implications and
applications of evolutions
- Scientific theories as testable and falsifiable, as opposed to faith and belief
Pillars of Evolution
- Living things change over time
- Changes are gradual, not instantaneous
- Lineages split through specification and result in biodiversity
- All species have a common ancestor
- Adaptation arise through natural selection
Conclusion: Biodiversity and adaptation are products of evolution
- Challenges the views of religion and special creation
Vocabulary
- Biodiversity: number and kinds of living organism in an area, (diversity of life)
- Adaptation:
- State: trait that allows an organism to survive and reproduce in a given
environment
- Process: leads to the origin and maintenance of these traits
- Microevolution: Evolutionary patterns and processes observed within species
- Small scale and shorter time frame, quick changes
- Ex: Rapid virus mutations
- Macroevolution: Evolutionary patterns and processes observed among species
- Large scale and longer time frame (long term changes - transcends a single
species, and look into speciation)
- Ex: From reptiles to humans
, Bio Term Test 1
(L1-L8, sim u text 1, readings 1-6)
Applications
- Evolution helps us understand our traits and why we have them
- Applied to fields such as:
- Medicine: Understanding virus evolution (rapid mutation, common ancestor of virus),
evolution-proof dug treatments, origin of viruses and bacteria, etc
- Agriculture: Find solution to herbicide and insect resistant pests and weeds
- Environment: Save planet
- Biology: answers ‘Why’ questions, understanding complex traits through natural
selection
Approaches to Studying Evolution
1. Evolutionary history: Based on reconstructing the history of evolution
- Determines evolutionary relationships through common ancestry
- Look into long-term patterns of evolution
- Application: Integrates comparative data from sub-disciplines
2. Evolutionary mechanisms: Based on processes that cause evolution (micro and macro
evolution, natural selection)
- Identify major forces of evolution
- Application: Uses experimental and comparative studies on genetics and ecology
- Focuses on population level
- Both are needed to understand evolution since evolutionary history is a product of
evolutionary mechanisms (not separate but interdisciplinary)
Evolutionary Trees/phylogenetic tree/phylogeny (evolutionary history branch)
- Trees showcase common ancestry, origin, and speciation of organisms
- Uniparental genealogy commonly used
- Points of branching are speciation events
Assumptions
- Rotation of branches still results in equivalent graphs
- Trees with different species (missing species or new added species) can still represent
same common ancestor (equivalent graphs)
, Bio Term Test 1
(L1-L8, sim u text 1, readings 1-6)
Ways Evolution is Studied
- Observation: describe and quantify
- Theoretical: verbal, graphical, mathematical, computational models
- Comparative: data collection from variety of species
- Experimental: Manipulate a system to address a hypothesis
- Scientific theories are testable and can be false
What makes a good theory?
- Evidence
- Testable hypothesis
Application of how evolution is studied (4 W’s)
1. Why does self-fertilization evolve → theoretical, observational, experimental
2. How did self-fertilization → genetics, molecular biology, developmental biology
(interdisciplinary question)
3. When did selfing evolve → evolutionary history, comparative analysis of genetic
differences
4. What are the consequences of evolving selfing → Genome studies
Public Doubts
- Recent concept
- Impacts who we are and where we came from
- Opposes interpretations of religious texts
L2: Darwin’s Big Idea
Essentials
- People: who they are, what they discovered or got wrong
→ Paley, Lamark, Darwin, Wallace, Lyell, Malthus, Weissman
- Concepts: Inheritance of acquired characteristics, uniformitarianism, natural selection.
(there differences, similarities, and predictions)
- Applications: Antibiotic resistance evolution, and how to stop it
People:
Name What they discovered What they got wrong
William Paley Paley’s Argument from design - Living things were not
- All things with a purpose are developed by god, there is no
designed by the divine designer
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller nowshinmahmud. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for CA$6.46. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
73216 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now