Evolution and

Natural
Selection
Tutorial
Introduction
Natural Selection
Genetic Drift
Quiz
 TYPES OF VARIATION
 Continuous and discontinuous variation
 Some of the features of the different organisms in a species
show continuous variation, and some features show
discontinuous variation.
 Continuous variation
 Human height is an example of continuous variation. It
ranges from that of the shortest person in the world to that
of the tallest person. Any height is possible between these
values. So it is continuous variation.
 For any species a characteristic that changes gradually
over a range of values shows continuous variation.
Examples of such characteristics are:
 height
 weight
 Ifyou record the heights of a
group of people and draw a graph
of your results, it usually looks
something like this:
 The more people you measure,
and the smaller the categories you
use, the closer the results will be
to the curved line. This shape of
graph is typical of a feature with
continuous variation. Weight
would give a graph similar in
shape to this.
 Discontinuous variation
 A characteristic of any species with only a limited number of
possible values shows discontinuous variation. Human blood
group is an example of discontinuous variation. In the ABO blood
group system, only four blood groups are possible (A, B, AB or O).
There are no values in between, so this is discontinuous variation.
 Here are some examples:
 blood group
 sex (male or female)
 eye colour
 In this class, you will
learn:
 How natural selection provides a
mechanism for evolution.
 Natural selection results from selective
pressures in the environment and is not
random.
 There are also random processes like
genetic drift that can upset genetic
equilibrium.
 Only natural selection results in
adaptation.
Credits:
Figures and images by N. Wheat unless otherwise noted.
Photo of Charles Darwin from Wikipedia.
Elephant seal photo from pdphoto.org.
Funded by Title V-STEM grant P031S090007.
 Introduction
 Evolution – includes all of the changes
in the characteristics and diversity of life
that occur throughout time.
 Evolution can occur on both large and
small scales.
 Microevolution
 Macroevolution
 Introduction
 Theconcept of evolution, that
organisms may change over time, was
not new in Darwin’s time.
 However, it was not a widely accepted
concept because no one understood how
it could work.
 A mechanism was missing.
 Natural Selection
 Darwin provided
that mechanism
with his theory of
Natural
Selection.
 Natural Selection
 In any population of
organisms there is
natural variation.
 Some of these
variations will allow
the organisms
possessing them to
survive and
reproduce better
than those without
these particular
traits.
 Natural Selection
 The successful traits will spread through
the population.
 This change in the frequency of alleles
in the population is evolution.
 Natural Selection – High
Reproductive Potential
 Darwinobserved that organisms have
the potential for very high fertility.
 Organisms have the potential to produce,
and often do produce large numbers of
offspring.
 Population size would quickly become
unmanageable if all of the offspring
survived.
 Natural Selection – Population
Size Remains Constant
 Despite this high potential fertility,
natural populations usually remain
constant in size, except for small
fluctuations.
 Not all of the potential offspring survive.
 Natural Selection – Limited
Resources
 Resources that organisms need to
survive are limited.
 Food, water, shelter, nesting sites, etc.
 Natural Selection – Competition
 Ifthere are not enough resources for all
of the individuals, there will be
competition for those resources.
 Survivors represent a small part of the
individuals produced each generation.
 Natural Selection – Populations
Show Variation
 Which individuals will survive is often
not a matter of luck.
 Populations show variation –
individuals are not identical.
 They differ in many different traits.
 Natural Selection – Variation is
Heritable
 Some of the variation between
individuals in the population is
heritable.
 It can be passed down from one
generation to the next.
 Natural Selection – Some traits
Enhance Survival
 Some of the traits found in the
population enhance the survival and
reproduction of the organisms
possessing them.
 Natural Selection –
Adaptation
 Thefavored traits will spread through
the population.
 Over many generations, the species will
become adapted to its environment.
 Over time, these changes can lead to the
formation of a new species.
 Adaptation
A species may become adapted to its
environment in response to
environmental pressures.
 A trait may be favored due to enhanced
survival or reproduction when faced with
a particular aspect of the environment.
 Adaptation
 When an environment changes, or when
individuals move to a new environment,
natural selection may result in
adaptation to the new conditions.
 Sometimes this results in a new species.
 Populations Evolve
 Individuals do not evolve; populations
evolve.
 Evolution is measured as changes in
relative proportions of heritable
variations in a population over several
generations.
Natural Selection – Important
Points
 Natural
selection can only work on
heritable traits.
 Acquired traits are not heritable and are
not subject to natural selection.
Natural Selection – Important
Points
 Environmental factors are variable.
 A trait that is beneficial in one place or
time may be detrimental in another place
or time.
Natural Selection – Important
Points
 Naturalselection is not random. It
occurs in response to environmental
pressures and results in adaptation.
Natural Selection – Important
Points
 When natural selection is occurring,
some individuals are having better
reproductive success than others.
 Alleles are being passed to the next
generation in frequencies that are
different from the current generation.
 See the Tutorial on Microevolution!
 Upsetting Genetic
Equilibrium
 Natural selection is not the only way
that allele frequencies can change from
one generation to the next.
 Genetic Drift – a random loss of alleles.
 Mutation – a new mutation can add
alleles.
 Nonrandom mating – inbreeding increases
the number of homozygous traits.
 Migration – shuffles alleles between
populations; can prevent speciation.
 Genetic Drift
 Thesmaller the sample, the greater the
chance of deviation from expected
results.
 These random deviations from expected
frequencies are called genetic drift.
 Allele frequencies are more likely to
deviate from the expected in small
populations.
 Genetic Drift
 Which allele gets
lost is due to
random
chance.
 Over time, drift
Frequency C = 0.7
R Frequency C = 0.4
R
Frequency CR = 1.0
tends to reduce Frequency C = 0.3 Frequency C = 0.6
W W
Frequency CW = 0

genetic variation  CRCR = red

through random  CRCW = pink
loss of alleles.
 CWCW = white
 The Bottleneck Effect
 Sometimes a
catastrophic event
can severely
reduce the size of
a population.
 The random
assortment of
survivors may
have different
allele frequencies.
 This is a type of
genetic drift
called the
bottleneck
effect.
 The Bottleneck Effect
 The actions of people
sometimes cause
bottlenecks in other
species.
 N. California elephant
seal population
reduced to 20-100
individuals in the
1890s.
 Current population
> 30,000.
 Variation drastically
reduced – 24 genes
with 1 allele.
 The Founder Effect
 Founder effect – Another type of
genetic drift occurs when a small group
of individuals becomes separated from
the population and form a new
population. The allele frequencies in
their gene pool may be different than
the original population.
 Question 1
A researcher studying the
evolution of flight in birds is
focusing on:
 Microevolution
 Macroevolution
 The bottleneck effect
 Question 1

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 1

Congratulations!
 You are correct!
 Question 2

What was the mechanism of

evolution that Darwin proposed?
 Natural Selection
 Macroevolution
 Genetic drift
 Chromosomal basis of
inheritance
 Question 2

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 2

Congratulations!
 You are correct!
 Question 3

In every population there is

variation. It is important that
this variation
 Involves a variety of colors
 Is heritable
 Is not noticeable
 Is acquired during an
organisms lifetime
 Question 3

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 3

Congratulations!
 You are correct!
 Question 4
During natural selection, some
organisms will survive &
reproduce better than others. This
is due to:
 Random chance
 Humans choosing which
animals to breed
 Environmental pressures
resulting in organisms with
certain traits having the best
reproductive success
 Luck
 Question 4

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 4

Congratulations!
 You are correct!
 Question 5

Which statement about

adaptation is NOT true?
 A species may become adapted to
its environment in response to
environmental pressures.
 A species is perfectly adapted to its
environment from the beginning.
 As favored traits spread through
the population, a species will
become adapted to its
environment.
 When an environment changes, or
when individuals move to a new
environment, natural selection
may result in adaptation to the
new conditions, sometimes this
results in a new species.
 Question 5

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 5

Congratulations!
 You are correct!
 Question 6

How can allele frequencies change

from one generation to the next?
 Genetic drift
 Natural selection
 Mutation
 Migration
 All of the above
 Question 6

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 6

Congratulations!
 You are correct!
 Question 7

Which of the following is NOT

due to random chance?
 Genetic drift
 The bottleneck effect
 Natural selection
 The founder effect
 Question 7

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 7

Congratulations!
 You are correct!
 Question 8

After a catastrophe reduces the

size of a population, the survivors
may have a different set of allele
frequencies. This is called
 The bottleneck effect
 Natural selection
 The founder effect
 All of the above
 Question 8

Sorry!
 That is incorrect.
 Try again!
 Question 8

Congratulations!
 You are correct!