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Evidence for Evolution

What is the Evidence for Evolution?

There are many different pieces of evidence for evolution; paleontology, biogeography, developmental biology, morphology, and genetics. I will be discussing what each piece of evidence means. 

Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life and shows that organisms have changed little by little over time. The most clear example of evidence are fossils, because they prove that many early fossils are identical or similar to organisms living now.

Biogeography shows that new species only create and arise near other similar species. This is evidence because species that are similar share a common time and space.

Developmental biology show how organisms can develop into adults from single cells. They all pass through many stages of life which are all very similar in each organism, this shows evidence of evolution. 

Morphology is an organisms shape and structure and how they adapt previous generations features to new uses. The evidence here is that organisms inherit traits from their ancestors and over time change.

Genetics is evidence of evolution of different organisms because it shows that we can group them by similarity of genes. If organisms have similar genes it proves that they evolved from similar species.

Plant Divisions

4 Plant Divisions:

Bryophytes are the most common plant division and are made up mosses, liverworts and hornworts. They are found in almost every habitat, including deserts but are most adaptable to moist environments. This is thought to be the first plant division dominate the environment. Two characteristics that distinguish them are that they lack specialized vascular tissue (xylem and phloem), and they are nutritionally dependent on the gametophyte. 

Pteridophytes are vascular plants such as ferns, horsetails, and lycophytes. This division reproduce using spores instead of seeds, which is why they are often referred to as 'seedless plants'. Two features that make them stand out are their large pinnate leaves and their ability of circinate vernation; meaning the young ferns have a protective spiral coiling.

Gymnosperms are plants that have 'naked' seeds, meaning they are not enclosed in fruit or pods. They include conifers, ginkgo, cycads, and gnetae. Features of this division are plants containing cones or strobili, with visible seeds.

Angiosperms are plants that have seeds enclosed in something such as a fruit. They also reproduce and bear  flowers, this means that the division includes all flowering plants; roses, sunflowers, fruit trees, etc. It is the most diverse and large group of plants because they can be anything from shrubs to trees.

Mutualism, Parasitism, Commensalism

What are Mutualism, Parasitism and Commensalism?

Mutualism is a relationship between organisms of different species in which both benefit from the relationship.   For example, bees and flowers. The bees help pollinate the flowers for reproduction which benefits the flower, while the bees get nectar from the flower which benefits the bees. It is a win-win kind of association.

Parasitism is a relationship when one organism (parasite) benefits at the expense of another organism of a different species (called the host). For example, a flea and a dog. The flea is benefiting by feeding off of the dogs blood, while the dog is being hurt and harmed by the flea. Only one organism is getting any benefit out of the relationship.

Commensalism a relationship between two different species in which one of them benefits from the relationship and the other is not harmed or benefiting from the association. For example, birds and trees. The bird benefits from the tree by using it as shelter and a place to find food, where as the tree is neither harmed or getting any benefit from the bird.  

Organic Compounds

The Four Organic Compounds 

1. Carbohydrates are the compound that provide energy to living cells. They are the main energy source because they activate instant cellular energy. The carbohydrates we use as food comes from photosynthesis of plants. The compounds monomers are monosaccharides or a single simple sugar (glucose, fructose) and disaccharides or two simple sugars bonded together. 



2. Lipids function as energy storage, structural components of cell membranes, and as signaling molecules. This compound is made up of naturally occurring molecules such as fat, waxes, sterols, etc. Fats are the biggest group of lipids. The monomers of this compound are fatty acids and glycerol. 


3. Proteins are involved in nearly all cell functions, each having their own specific function within the body. Proteins are used for structural support, bodily movement, and defense against germs. Antibodies, enzymes, hormonal proteins, and storage proteins are all types of protein with different functions. They not only vary in function but structure as well, each one is a distinct three dimensional shape. The monomers of this compound are are amino acids. 

4. Nucleic Acids transfer genetic information from one generation to the next in living organisms. There are 2 types of nucleic acid; deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Each have their own role in transferring genetic information. The monomers of it are nucleotides, which have three parts; a nitrogenous base, a five carbon sugar, and a phosphate group. 

Natural Selection

What is Natural Selection?

Natural Selection was a evolution theory introduced by Darwin in 1859. His theory was that the organisms that were best adapted and equipped to compete in their environment would survive and pass on their strong genetic traits to offspring, and over time that would lead to evolution. It also goes the other way, organism that are less adapted to their environment will reproduce much slower and soon be eliminated leaving only the most evolved organisms to live and continue multiplying.  

Confused? Here are a couple examples.

• The peppered moth: Up until the industrial revolution the peppered moths were generally white in color with black spots. The air in London became full of soot and began turning the white trees that they camouflaged in, to a dark black. The birds began to eat the lighter colored moths because they were easily spotted. Over a few months dark moths started appearing and lighter moths became scarce. 
• The peacock:  The more impressive the tail of a male peacock, the higher its chances of finding a mate. Female peacocks choose mates based on the color of the feathers. According to experts, the brightness of the colors might signal to females that the animal has high-quality genes. This would make him ideal for reproduction and to ensure the survival of the offspring, so they're chosen first when it's time to mate.

Evolution

Evolution: Darwin vs. Lamarck

Darwin's theory is called descent with modification. This means that he believed that each generation of an organisms offspring is in someway different than the previous generation. Which in conclusion would mean that over time and many generations the organism would be evolving. 

Lamarck's ideas of evolution were not the same. He believed in inheritance of acquired traits, the idea was if an organism were to work on improving something over its entire life, it would be passed on to its offspring and they would inherit that improvement. For example, if a man were to work out every day and became very muscular than his children would also become muscular. His other idea of evolution in known as use and disuse, this is the thought that organisms will lose characteristics they do not use or need and they will develop characteristics that will be useful. An example is giraffes, they need long necks to be able to reach leaves on trees so over time they strengthen and stretch, their offspring then have slightly longer necks.

They both have different theories and ideas, but they seem to have one certain point in common and that is that evolution is a slow process and it takes time and process for organisms to evolve.