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Chapter 16
Continuity Through Evolution
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Pre-Darwinian ideas about evolution
Darwin and evolution
Natural selection has four premises
The modern synthesis combines Darwin’s theory with Mendelian genetics
Focus On: Dating Fossils
Plants and People: Evolution and Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics
Plants and the Environment: Islands and the Problem of Invasive Species
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. Discuss the historical development of the theory of evolution.
2. Define evolution and explain the four premises of evolution by natural selection as
proposed by Darwin.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Define evolution.
II. Describe the development of the concept of evolution.
A. What were some early ideas about evolution?
C. Summarize the premises of natural selection.
1. Too many offspring
2. Variation among populations
3. Competition for limited resources
4. The fittest survive to reproduce
IV. How is the synthetic theory of evolution different from Darwin’s original statement about
natural selection?
V. What are some lines of evidence that support the theory of evolution?
A. What can be seen in the fossil record?
1. How are sedimentary rocks used to data fossils?
C. How does mimicry provide evidence for evolution?
1. What is mimicry?
2. How do protective coloration and form provide an evolutionary advantage?
D. How does biogeography support evolution?
1. What is the center of origin of a species?
KEY TERMS
artificial selection, p. 313
biogeography, p. 321
gradualism, p. 317
homologous organs, p. 319
protective coloration, p.
320
TEACHING TIPS
1. There are several good videos on evolution and the scientists behind the ideas.
2. There is a good opportunity here to emphasize the process of science when examining
the historical development of the theory of evolution. Students need to understand that
3. Use visuals to show evolutionary trees of familiar organisms, such as the horse. Botany
4. There are many good books on evolution. Here are three that may be of special interest:
Richard Dawkins, The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution (Mariner
Books, 2005). This book describes a reverse tour through evolution from present day
humans back to the first living microbes. Along the journey, tales illustrate speciation,
sexual selection, and extinction.
5. When discussing fossils, point out that many useful adaptations do not fossilize, such as
coloration and odor. Then discuss how information on these adaptations, if available,