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EVOLUTION: CHAPTER AT A GLANCE
THEORIES OF ORIGIN OF LIFE
1. Spontaneous generation: Life came out of decaying & rotting
matter like straw, mud etc. Louis Pasteur disproved this theory. Miller experiment
2. Biogenesis: Life originates from pre-existing life. to prove Chemical
3. Panspermia: Units of life spores were transferred to planets evolution.
including earth. As a result, some
4. Special creation: Living things were created by a supernatural amino acids are
power. formed.
5. Chemical evolution: By Oparin & Haldane. Life was originated
from inorganic & organic molecules.
EVIDENCES FOR EVOLUTION
1. Paleontological evidences 4. Biochemical evidences
Study of extinct animals and geological period. Organisms show similarities in proteins, genes, biomolecules &
2. Morphological & Anatomical evidences metabolism. It indicates common ancestry.
a. Homologous organs: The organs having fundamentally 5. Embryological evidences
similar structure and origin but different functions. This Ernst Haeckel observed that all vertebrate embryos have
phenomenon is called Homology. E.g. 1. Human hand, some common features that are absent in adult.
Whale’s flippers, Bat’s wing & Cheetah’s foot. Karl Ernst von Baer rejected this proposal.
2. Thorns of Bougainvillea and tendrils of Cucurbita. 6. Natural selection
Origin of homologous organs is due to Divergent It is the process in which the organisms with better, favourable
evolution (related species become less similar in & heritable variation are survived and reproduced. E.g.
different environmental condition). ▪ In England, before industrialization (1850s): More white-
b. Analogous organs: The organs having similar function winged moths than dark winged (melanised) moths.
but different structure & origin. This phenomenon is called After industrialization (1920): More dark-winged and less
Analogy. E.g. Wings of insects & wings of birds, Sweet white winged.
potato & Potato, Eye of the octopus & of mammals. Reason:
Origin of analogous organs is due to Convergent evolution Before industrialization: Due to covering of white lichens
(unrelated species become more similar in similar on the trees, white winged moths survived but dark winged
environmental condition). moths were picked out by predators.
3. Adaptive radiation After industrialization: No lichens. Tree trunks became
It is the evolution of dark due to smoke and soot. So, predators identified white
different species in a winged moths easily. Dark winged moths survived due to
geographical area. E.g. dark background.
Darwin’s finches, Australian ▪ Development of resistant varieties in organisms against
marsupials (Marsupial herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics or drugs etc.
radiation), Placental These are the examples for natural selection by anthropogenic
mammals in Australia. action (evolution due to human activities).
THEORIES OF BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
Theory of Inheritance of Acquired characters MECHANISM OF EVOLUTION
Proposed by Lamarck. It states that evolution occurred by the - Hugo de Vries conducted experiments on evening primrose
inheritance of acquired characters. E.g. Long neck of giraffe. and proposed that evolution takes place through mutation.
Theory of Natural selection - Mutation is the origin of variation for evolution.
Proposed by Charles Darwin. - Darwinian variation is minor, slow and directional. It
Key concepts: Branching descent & Natural selection. results in gradual evolution.
Natural selection is based on these facts: Heritable minor - Mutational variation is sudden, random & directionless.
variations, Overproduction, Limited natural resources, Here, speciation is by saltation (single step, large mutation).
Struggle for existence & Survival of the fittest.
HARDY-WEINBERG PRINCIPLE
It states that allele frequencies in a population are stable and is constant from generation to generation in the absence of disturbing
factors.
E.g. in a diploid, p & q are the frequencies of alleles A & a respectively.
Frequency of AA = p2 Frequency of aa = q2 Frequency of Aa = 2pq
Hence p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
1
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Factors affecting Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium:
Gene migration, Genetic drift, Mutation, Genetic recombination & Natural selection.
Gene migration: Gene flow from one population to another.
Genetic drift: Gene flow by chance. Original drifted
population becomes founders (founder effect).
Natural selection: It is 3 types.
▪ Stabilizing selection: Here, more individuals acquire mean
character value and variation is reduced.
▪ Directional selection: Individuals of one extreme are more
favoured.
▪ Disruptive selection: Individuals of both extremes are
more favoured.
ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF MAN
Sequence of Human evolution:
Dryopithecus → Ramapithecus → Australopithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Homo neanderthalensis → Homo sapiens
