State Charles Darwin\'s contribution to science. Describe the three patterns of

Question

State Charles Darwin's contribution to science. Describe the three patterns of biodiversity noted by Darwin. Define: a. Evolution b. Natural Selection c. Artificial selection d. Adaptation e. Fitness Identify the conclusions drawn by Hutton and Lyell about Earth's history. Describe Lamarck's hypothesis. Describe the conditions under which natural selection occurs. Explain the principle of common descent. Explain how geologic distribution of species relates to their evolutionary history. Explain how fossils document the descents of modern species from ancient ancestorsy. Define: a. Biogeography b. Homologous structure c. Analogous structure d. Vestigial structure

Explanation / Answer

1.charles Darwin theory of evolution is one of the greatest contribution ever made to science.The process of change overtime is called evolution.darwin developed a scientific theory of biological evolution that explains how modern organisms evolved over a long period of time through descent from common ancestor. For example man from a primitive monkey like animal.

2.darwin had always been fascinated by biological diversity he wanted to explain biological diversity in a scientific way.as he travelled Darwin noticed three distinctive patters of biological diversity

a)species vary globally-different, yet ecologically similar, animal species inhabited separated, but ecologically similar, habitats around the globe.e.g. south American bird rhea's look and act a lot like ostriches yet rhea's live only in south America and ostriches in Africa.

b) species vary locally

c) species vary overtime-darwin noticed that some fossils of extinct animals were similar to living species

3.Evolution-evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Natural selection- The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. The theory of its action was first fully expounded by Charles Darwin, and it is now regarded as be the main process that brings about evolution.

Artificial selection-is an artificial mechanism of evolution.it is the intentional reproduction of individual in a population that have desirable traits. e.g. such as two parent plants that are tall allowed to breed together.

Adaptation-adaptation is a physical or behavioral characteristics that has developed to allow an organism to better survive in its environment.

Fitness-also called biological fitness or Darwinian fitness is the ability to survive to reproductive age find a mate and produce offsprings.

4.hutton and Lyell conclude that earth is extremely old and that the processes that changed the earth in past are the same processes that operates in present.

5.lamarck best known for his theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics according to this theory if an organism changes during life in order to adapt to its environment those changes are passed on to its offsprings. For example Lamarck believed that elephants all used to have short trunks when there was no food or water that they could reach with their short trunks they stretched there trunks to reach the water and branches and their offsprings inherited long trunks.

6. Four general conditions required for natural selection

a)more organism are born than can survive

b) organism vary in their characteristics even within a species.

c) variation is inherited.

d) difference in reproduction and survival are due to variation s in organism.

7. Common descent is a principle of Darwinism which holds that life on earth evolved from a common ancestor.the theory draw support from homology( physical similarities) embryology (development similarities)and the geographic distribution of animals.

10.biogeography-is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystem in geographic space and geological time.

Homologous structure-the structures which are similar in morphology anatomy embryology and genetics but dissimilar in their functions are called homologous structures.these structures are inherited from common ancestor.

Analogous structures-sometimes animals belongings to different group live in same habitats.hence they lead a similar type of life.t his leads to the development of superficial similarstructures to lead a similar life.as these animals belongs to different group anatomically structures are different.the structures which are superficially similar but anatomically different doing same function are called analogous structures.

Vestigial structures-structure that have no apparent functions and appears to be residual parts from a past ancestor are called vestigial structures.f or example human appendix and pelvic bone of snake.

8.the geographic distribution of organisms on the planet follow pattern that are best explained by evolution in conjunction with the movement of tectonic plates over geological times

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