BIO120H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Biogeography, Genomics, Hectare
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BIO120H1 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Bio120 - lecture 1: introduction to evolutionary biology. Scope of question small vs large. Small - answering small tractable questions can contribute towards solving big question. Large - unlikely to be answered by one experiment; requires multiple lines of evidence. Type of question how vs. why. How questions (proximate questions) - determine physiological or genetic mechanisms responsible for aspects of a trait. Why questions (ultimate questions) - determine ecological function and adaptive significance of a trait. Important assumptions about evolution verified by scientific study. Organisms on earth have changed through time. Lineages split or branch by speciation resulting in generation of biodiversity. Selection - the only process responsible for the evolution of biodiversity and adaptation. Biodiversity and adaptation = products of evolution. Biodiversity: the variety of life on earth, the number and kinds of living organisms in a given area. Adaptation has two meanings; state or process.
