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BIOL 2400 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte De Buffon, Orthogenesis, Thomas Hunt Morgan

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1 Feb 2017

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University of Guelph

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Document Summary

Evolution is used as a framework for understanding: nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, thedosius. Dobzhansky, 1973 evolution can be simply defined as a change in gene frequencies through time it can also be defined as descent w/ genetic modification: evolution is about relationships among all of biodiversity. Some species are more similar b/c of their shared ancestry: but, more importantly, it is also about the path taken. Not just here and now but how did it get here. Natural selection: we are the survivors. Outcompete other species: uses principle of natural selection as a starting point to generate hypotheses about. Why a particular trait exists: hypothesize that structures and functions that we see increase some component of evolutionary fitness, some caveats: This approach only provides a basis for asking questions and allows us for making predictions. Means we have to be open to alternative hypotheses and being proven incorrect.

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Related Questions

Question 1

Evolutionary algorithms are used:

In engineering, to arrive at solutions by going through many permutations of possible solutions and allowing them to evolve.

A genetic feature of complex organisms.

A process undergone by the human brain, which is similar to evolution by natural selection.

Another term used for a computer algorithm in general.

Question 2

Human literature and languages can be studied using methods similar to those used for constructing phylogenies because:

There is no other way of studying these things.

Languages evolve roughly along the lines of species, with mutations (changes in words and pronunciation), descent with modification (languages becoming more different along the way), and branching of languages (languages giving rise to other languages that are similar to them).

Because literature and languages are constructed by organisms (human beings), so what applies to one must apply to the other.

Languages undergo a process of word swapping, which is analogous to horizontal gene transfer.

Question 3

The degree to which horizontal gene transfer occurs in eukaryotes is:

Something upon which the entire validity of evolutionary biology hinges.

A mystery that may or may not disprove evolution, but we simply don't know enough about it at this point.

Something that would overthrow the notion that this phenomenon is important in bacteria.

An interesting and potentially important aspect of biology with relevance for how evolution occurs, but not something that would call it into question one way or the other.

Question 4

Learning about the history of scientific theories and the reasons for why they are initially accepted or rejected is important mostly because:

It makes for exciting story telling, and this is very much needed to get people interested in science.

It teaches us about the process of science as it actually occurs, which is somewhat different to the idealized notion of a purely objective undertaking.

It tells us which theories are definitely true or false.

It tells us that science is actually a totally subjective process that tries to present itself as objective. In reality, personal subjective factors are the only relevant factors that really matter in science.

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