This document provides information about an evolution and ecology course, including: - The semester A lectures will focus on evolution, covering topics like the history of evolutionary thought, natural selection, human evolution, and more. - Semester B lectures will focus on ecology, covering topics like food webs, biomes, global warming, and more. - Assessment will include a workshop in each semester worth 20% and 80% for a final exam. - Recommended reading materials are also provided to supplement the course content.

1. SBC174 Evolution (& Ecology)

2. Being a student...
Taking notes...

3. Course Outline
and Timetable

5. http://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3972
Yannick Wurm
YW
Dave Hone
DH

6. http://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3972
Semester A: Evolution
Lectures from Yannick Wurm (YW), and David Hone (DH).!
Week 1: YW – Introduction, Historical context, Neo Darwinism!
Week 2: YW – Geological Aspects, Drivers of Evolution, Levels of Evolution!
Week 3: YW – Ultimate vs Proximate, learning from fossils, learning from DNA!
Week 4: YW – Human Evolution!
Week 5: YW - Genetic Basis of Evolution!
Week 6: DH – Selection, Gene Flow, and Mutation!
Week 7: Mid semester break, no lectures.!
Week 8: DH – Founder Effects, Inbreeding, and Hybrid Zones!
Week 8: Computer Practical (afternoon) [PopG Tutorial]!
Week 9: DH – Evolution of Sex, Sexual Selection!
Week 10: DH – Systematics, Speciation!
Week 11: DH - Evolution of Parasites, Antibiotics!
Week 12: DH – Convergence, Revision Session
Mondays: 9-10 a.m in Maths MLT (Maths Lecture Theatre) 12-1pm in Laws 2.10!
Note: the workshops will be in week 8 of Semesters A and B.
20% Workshop
Final Grade:
80% Exam

7. Semester B: Ecology
Week 1: Introduction to the course, Introduction to ecology!
!
Week 2: Survivorship curves, Food webs and interactions!
!
Week 3: Niches, Biomes and Habitats!
!
Week 4: Ecosystem Services, Productivity!
!
Week 5: Extinctions, Global Warming!
!
Week 6: Invertebrates & global warming, Pollinators!
!
Week 7: READING WEEK!
!
Week 8: Invertebrate Ecology, Plants (global view) - WORKSHOP!
!
Week 9: Microbes, Plankton!
!
Week 10: Salt Marshes, Woodlands,!
!
Week 11: Invasive species, Ecological Solutions!
!
Week 12: UK Conservation, Review session
All lectures by David Hone
Final Grade: 80% Exam; 5% Workshop; 15% Fieldcourse

8. 47
BL
Bradwell Street
Math Lecture Theater
BL
38
60
53
52
Bancroft Road
Leatherdale Street Moody Street
Nuevo
Burial
Ground
Bancroft Road
Bancroft Road
9 Arts Quarter
35 37
25
24 34
23 22
33
19a
19
17
61
55
62
64
56
63
16
18
20
15
15
12
8 10
15
11
Grantley Street
6 7
5
4
Holton Street
3
2
2
14
54
40
39
13
27
26
31
29
28
46
46
49
58 57
59
55
44
41
48
51
50
45
43
42
32
36
Geography
Square
Library
Square
The
Curve
Godward
Square
Westfield Way
West Gate East Gate
Alderney Road
Longnor Road
Mile End Hospital
Portelet Road
Green Tube Station Mile End Road Mile End Tube Station

9. SBC174/SBS110: Evolution (& Ecology)
“Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in
the Light of Evolution”
Theodosius Dobzhansky 1973

10. Recommended Reading

12. Paperback 352 pages
(2010)!
Publisher: Profile Books!
!
Amazon price: £5.89

14. Paperback 596 pages !
(11 Aug 2005)!
!
Publisher: Oxford University Press!
Amazon price: £26.99

15. +Lots of stuff on youtube.
+Anything in Nature, Science, Trends in Ecology & Evolution…

16. Lecture 1: Introduction and some
historical perspectives

17. Early ideas
Two camps: Fixity of species or change?
350 B.C. Aristotle:!
individuals in a “Species” are identical and unchanging
1749 Buffon Histoire Naturelle encyclopedia: !
The earth is very old. Species change.
1785 Hutton. Geologist: !
Uniformitarianism: Changes in nature are gradual.
1798 Cuvier: !
Fossils show extinct species (due to catastrophe). !
Species don’t change.

18. Define:
“Evolution by Natural Selection”

19. Are there other types of
evolution?

20. 3 Schools of evolutionary thought
1. Linnaeus:1700s
2. Lamarck: 1744—1829!
3. Darwin & Wallace: 1800s

21. Carolus Linnaeus (1707—1778)
• Swedish!
• 180 books classified nature:
“revealing the order of life created
by God.”: “God created, Linnaeus
arranged”!
• Devised the binomial naming
system: Genus species !
• Thought that species do not
change.

22. 3 Schools of evolutionary thought
• Linneaus: each species was
separately created.

23. J-B. de Lamarck (1744—1829)
• Worked most of his life at the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris)!
• He promoted the idea that species change.

24. 3 Schools of evolutionary thought
1. Linnaeus:1700s!
2. Lamarck: 1744-1829
3. Darwin & Wallace: 1800s

25. 3 Schools of evolutionary thought
• Linneaus: each species was
separately created.
• Lamarck: characteristics acquired by an
individual are passed on to offspring.

26. Giraffe necks
• Lamarck: stretching giraffes
lengthened their necks to
reach tree-top vegetation.
This acquired characteristic
is passed to offspring.!
• Darwin & Wallace: giraffes
with long necks out-compete
those with short
necks.

27. 3 Schools of evolutionary thought
1. Linnaeus:1700s!
2. Lamarck: 1744—1829!
3. Darwin & Wallace: 1800s

28. Thomas Malthus (1766-1834)
Published on “principle of population”:!
Human populations increase faster
(geometrically=exponentially) !
than food production (increases
arithmetically = linearly)!

29. Charles Lyell (1797-1875)
Geologist, strong proponent of
uniformitarianism (slow gradual change)
Uniformitarianism. 4 ideas: !
• Accepted by all scientists:!
1. Natural laws are constant across space and time!
2. Principle of parsimony: try to explain the past by causes
now in operation without inventing extra, fancy, or unknown
causes, however plausible in logic, if available processes suffice. !
• Debatable:!
3. Change is slow, steady, and gradual.!
4. Change is evenly distributed throughout space and time.!

30. Darwin & the Voyage of the Beagle
1831-1836

31. Galápagos finches
1° 30'
1°
0° 30'
0°
Equator
0° 30'
1°
1° 30'
92° 91° 30' 91° 90° 30' 90° 89° 30' 89°
PACIFIC OCEAN
Marchena
(Bindloe)
Pinta
(Abington)
777 m
Cabo Ibbetson
Canal de Pinta
Punta Mejía
340 m
Punta Montalvo
Punta Calle
San Salvador
(Santiago / James)
Genovesa
Canal de Marchena
Bahia Darwin
(Darwin Bay)
El Barranco
Seymour Norte
(North Seymour)
Mosquera
Baltra (South Seymour)
Punta Carrión
Plaza Sur
Santa Cruz
(Indefatigable)
(Tower)
75 m
Santa Fé
(Barrington)
Darwin
(Culpepper)
Wolf
(Wenman)
253 m
Redonda
Punta Flores
Ecuador
>790 m
Cabo Berkeley
Punta Vicente Roca
Cabo Douglas
Fernandina
(Marlborough)
Bahia de
Bancos
(Banks Bay)
Punta Tortuga
Tagus Cove
Punta Espinosa
La Cumbre
1 476 m
Punta Mangle
Punta Moreno
Isabela
(Albemarle)
0° QUITO
0 (km) 500
5°
Galápagos Islands
San Cristóbal
(Chatham)
Cabo Chalmers
Cerro Pelado
Bahia James
(James Bay) Bahia Sullivan
Punta
Baquerizo
Canal Isabela
Cabo
Nepean
907 m
Rábida
(Jervis)
Punta
Alfaro
Bahia
Cártago
Punta
Espejo
Canal de San Salvador
Cerro Dragón
367 m
Bahia Conway (Conway Bay)
Bahia Ballena (Ballena Bay)
Cabo Barrington
Pinzón
(Duncan)
Eden
Canal de Pinzón
458 m
Cabo Woodford
Cuatro Hermanos
(Crossman)
Albany
Punta Veintimilla
Chico
Puerto Villamil
Tortuga
(Brattle)
Los Gemelos
Punta Cormorant
Puerto Velasco Ibarra
Floreana
Bainbridge
Sombrero Chino
Daphne Mayor
Bahia Tortuga
(Tortuga Bay)
Cerro Crocker
Puerto
Isidro
Ayora
Bahia Post Office
(Post Office Bay)
(Santa María / Charles)
Cerro Brujo
León-Dormido-Felsen
(Kicker Rock)
Bahia d'Esteban
Canal de Santa Fé
Cerro Tijeretas
Puerto
Baquerizo
Moreno
Punta Wreck
Española
(Hood)
Bartolomé
Lobos
Punta Rocafuerte
864 m
Punta
Nuñez
Cruz
Caamaño
Santa Canal de Hancock Bank
Campión (Champion)
Enderby
Punta Ayora
Caldwell
Gardner
Gardner
Bahia Gardner
(Gardner Bay)
Punta Albemarle
Wolf
1 707 m
Canal Bolívar
Darwin
1 330 m
Bahia
Urbina
(Urbina
Bay)
Cabo Marshall
Bahia Isabel
(Elizabeth Bay)
McGowen
Reef
Cabo Hammond
Punta Cristóbal
Caleta Iguana
Istmo
Perry
Bahia
Villamil
Bahia de
Hobbs
Punta Valdizán
Punta Pitt
Bahia Rosa Blanca
Punta Suárez
Punta
Garcia
Alcedo
1 130 m
Azufre
Cabo Rosa
Cerro San Joaquin
Punta Sur
Punta Cevallos
Punta Sur
Cerro Pajas
640 m
Sierra Negra
1 124 m
Cerro Azul
1 640 m
730 m
Cerro Alieri
92° 91° 30' 91° 90° 30' 90° 89° 30' 89°
• Analysis -> finches derived from one ancestral species arriving from
the mainland to populate and diversify across the islands (adaptive
radiation).
1,707 m
1,500 m
1,250 m
1,000 m
750 m
500 m
250 m
100 m
50 m
0
-200 m
-500 m
-750 m
-1,000 m
-1,500 m
-2,000 m
-2,500 m
-3,000 m
-3,500 m
-3,650 m
0 (mi) 300
90° 85° 80° 75°
5°
COLOMBIA
PERU
PANAMA
COSTA
RICA
ECUADOR
PACIFIC
OCEAN
0 (km) 100
0 (mi) 60
Projection: UTM (WGS84 Datum)
Island
Alternate Name
Peak
Provincial Capital
Cantonal Capital
Village
Airport
Isabela
(Albermarle)

32. © BskyB - David Attenborough - Galápagos 2013

33. Darwin!
1837

34. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
• Darwin at about 30 years old,
three years since returning from
his voyage aboard HMS Beagle
(1831-1836)!
• The Origin of Species was
published several decades later in
1859 (prompted by competition
from Alfred Russel Wallace).

35. Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)
• Wallace in his thirties. (National
Portrait Gallery, London.)!
• In 1858 he came up with similar
ideas to Darwin about the
mechanism of evolutionary change

38. BBC Two - Bill Bailey's Jungle Hero, Wallace in Borneo

39. BBC Two - Bill Bailey's Jungle Hero, Wallace in Borneo

41. Read at the Linnean Society

42. Evolution by natural selection
Under optimal conditions, populations indefinitely increase in size.
Because they do not:!
* either not all animals reach maturity!
* and/or some animals breed less
Individuals within a population differ (natural variation)
Some differences (traits) affect survival/reproduction
Some of these traits are heritable: passed on from parents to
offspring
Advantageous traits lead to increased relative survival of certain
lineages

43. 3 Schools of evolutionary thought
• Linneaus: each species was
separately created.
• Lamarck: characteristics acquired by an
individual are passed on to offspring.
• Darwin & Wallace: viewed evolution
as descent with modification.

44. Giraffe necks
• Lamarck: stretching giraffes
lengthened their necks to
reach tree-top vegetation.
This acquired characteristic
is passed to offspring.!
• Darwin & Wallace: giraffes
with long necks have more
offspring than those with
short necks.
Actually: sexual selection??

45. (1859) "The Origin of Species"

46. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection
theory |ˈTHēərē, ˈTHi(ə)rē|
noun ( pl. theories )
A scheme or system of ideas or statements held as an
explanation or account of a group of facts or phenomena;
a hypothesis that has been confirmed or established by
observation and experiment, and is propounded or
accepted as accounting for the known facts.
(Oxford English Dictionary)

47. Darwin's Theory of Evolution (1859)
"The Origin of Species"
• There is inherited variation within species.!
• There is competition for survival within species.!
• Natural selection is the process whereby genetically inherited
characteristics become more or less common in a population as a
function of the differential reproductive success of the bearers of these
characteristics.!
•This process occurring independently on two populations of a single
species leads to the accumulation of differences between the populations
- and ultimately to speciation.

48. Summary
Ideas on how the diversity of life was/is produced date back
to the ancient Greeks!
!
These ideas developed considerably in the 1800s,
culminating in the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

49. • But environmental conditions change:
!
Natural selection leads to
adaptive change
What was advantageous yesterday may be a disadvantage today.
Evolution=change doesn’t only
occur by natural selection!!
• Also: !
• genetic drift!
• (sexual selection)!
• artificial selection (selective breeding)!
• mutation

51. Darwin’s evidence for evolution
1. The Fossil Record
2. Comparative Anatomy
3. Comparative Embryology
4. Vestigial Structures
5. Domestication (artificial selection)

52. 1. The Fossil Record: Palaeontology
Random
order Reality: there is
sequential order to
the fossil record

53. Darwin’s evidence for evolution
1. The Fossil Record
2. Comparative Anatomy
3. Comparative Embryology
4. Vestigial Structures
5. Domestication (artificial selection)

54. 2. Comparative anatomy
• Comparison of forelimbs among 4
vertebrates.

55. Homology vs. analogy
• Homology - vertebrate forearms: the bat wing, mouse forearm, and
human arm are homologous structures as all are composed of similar
bones inherited from a recent common ancestor.

56. Homology vs. analogy
• Analogy: The wings of bats, butterflies, and birds evolved
independently, not from a recent common ancestor. But they have a
similar function, flight, and so are analogous.
(convergent evolution)

57. Morphological series - evolution
of limbs from fins
• Note homology of structures

58. Darwin’s evidence for evolution
1. The Fossil Record
2. Comparative Anatomy
3. Comparative Embryology
4. Vestigial Structures
5. Domestication (artificial selection)

59. 3. Comparative Embryology
• Embryonic retention of ancestral characteristics in vertebrates (e.g. gills
and tails)

60. Darwin’s evidence for evolution
1. The Fossil Record
2. Comparative Anatomy
3. Comparative Embryology
4. Vestigial Structures
5. Domestication (artificial selection)

61. 4. Vestigial features I
• Whales: hips and hind limbs are reduced to small bones with no function. !
• In primitive snakes, the remnants of hind limbs persist (forelimbs are
absent).
Femur Pelvis

62. Vestigial features II
• The human appendix
is a vestigial structure,
reduced from the
caecum of primate
ancestors.
• Others: muscles to move ears, “goose bumps”

63. Darwin’s evidence for evolution
1. The Fossil Record
2. Comparative Anatomy
3. Comparative Embryology
4. Vestigial Structures
5. Domestication (artificial selection)

64. 5. Domestication (artificial selection)
Von Holdt et al.
(2010) Nature
464, 898-903

68. Brassica oleracea

69. Darwin’s evidence for evolution
1. The Fossil Record
2. Comparative Anatomy
3. Comparative Embryology
4. Vestigial Structures
5. Domestication (artificial selection)

70. Patterns and processes in
evolutionary thought
New
hypotheses
New
understanding
of
evolutionary!
processes
New
research
New
findings/
observations

72. “Neo-Darwinism”
or
“The Modern Synthesis”
The same thing... but with better understanding of
how things work.
• Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection!
• Mendel’s Laws of Heredity (1866, 1900; see SBS 008)!
• Cytogenetics (1902, 1904 - )!
• Population Genetics (1908; see later lectures) !
• Molecular genetics (1970s- ; see SBS 633/210 and later
lectures)