BIO 3122 Lecture 3: Lecture 3 - Darwin
16 Oct 2017
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Darwin had an affinity for collecting life forms even though his father pushed him towards medicine and he was isolated publicly. Very old place --> lots of time for evolution. Geologist also figured out that small changes can accumulate over time --> like how small mutations are heritable changes that accumulate overtime. Many species have gone extinct more than 99% of species that ever existed are extinct. Darwin did not understand the physical force that drove evolution, only that evolution existed. One piece of evidence was the similarities between distant species. Human embryos develop branching veins in the embryo much like fish do in early development. More individuals born than the environment can hold --> fierce struggle for survival. Beneficial traits on individuals leads to survival and more offspring. Fossils allow us to learn about extinct species. Electron microscopy can tell us about colors if cellular structure is preserved as fossil.
