Slide 1

Evolution before Darwin Lamarck: Philosophie Zoologique (1809) OEB 192 10.09.08 Prior theme music: http://www.overman.info/evolutionrocks.htmlhttp://www.overman.info/evolutionrocks.html

Slide 2

Darwin & Wallace In June 1858 received manuscript from Wallace On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely form the Original Type Rushed to present his work at the same time, then wrote a 490 page abstract (1859)

Slide 3

Darwin and natural selection Two major tenets (Darwin, 1859) : [A]ll species, living and extinct have descended without interruption from one (or a few) original forms of life

Slide 4

Darwin and natural selection Two major tenets (Darwin, 1859) : [A]ll species, living and extinct have descended without interruption from one (or a few) original forms of life [I]f variations useful to any organic being ever occur, assuredly individuals thus characterised will have the best chance of being preserved in the struggle for life; and from the strong principle of inheritance, these will tend to produce offspring similarly characterised. This principle of preservation, or the survival of the fittest, I have called natural selection.

Slide 5

After Darwin Big problem: Solution: Fisher, Haldane, Wright, Mayr, Huxley, Stebbins, Simpson, Dobzhansky

Slide 6

Are mutations random & independent of selection? Luria & Delbrck experiment (1943)

Slide 7

Joshua & Esther Lederberg (1952) Replica plating Are mutations random & independent of selection?

Slide 8

What is adaptation? Noun vs. verb (vs. acclimation) Noun: [A] feature is an adaptation for some function if it has become prevalent or is maintained in a population because of natural selection for that function (Futuyma, p.355) the good fit of organisms to their environment (Gould & Lewontin, 1979)

Slide 9

How study adaptations? A. B. vs.

Slide 10

How study adaptations?

Slide 11

Monday (9/13): Phylogeny and the tree of life

Slide 12

Tanja Bosak MIT Life between the Snowballs Thursday, September 9 th @ 6PM Location: Center for the Environment (Rm 310) 24 Oxford St, Harvard University, Cambridge Please join us for a wine and cheese reception at 5:30 pm Host: Ann Pearson - MSI Seminar Schedule: http://www.msi.harvard.edu/thursdays.html http://www.msi.harvard.edu/thursdays.html - Directions to 24 Oxford St: http://www.msi.harvard.edu/ov_dir.html http://www.msi.harvard.edu/ov_dir.html