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Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species
Charles Robert Darwin(1809.02.12 - 1882.04.19), who is the father of the theory of origin of species.
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Background information This article is about Charles Darwin's book.
It introduced the theory that populations evolve over
the course of generations through a process of
natural selection. Darwin's book was the
culmination of evidence he had accumulated on the
voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s and expanded
through continuing investigations and experiments
after his return.
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Background information
In biology, evolution is the changes in the inherited traits of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. These changes are caused by a combination of three main processes: variation, reproduction, and selection.
Genes that are passed on to an organism's offspring produce the inherited traits that are the basis of evolution. These traits vary within populations, with organisms showing heritable differences in their traits.
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Background information
When organisms reproduce, their offspring may have new or altered traits. These new traits arise in two main ways: either from mutations in genes, or from the transfer of genes between populations and between species.
In species that reproduce sexually, new combinations of genes are also produced by genetic recombination, which can increase variation between organisms. Evolution occurs when these heritable differences become more common or rare in a population.
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Background information Two major mechanisms drive evolution.
The first is natural selection, a process causing heritable traits that are helpful for survival and reproduction to become more common in a population, and harmful traits to become more rare.
This occurs because individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to reproduce, so that more individuals in the next generation inherit these traits. Over many generations, adaptations occur through a combination of successive, small, random changes in traits, and natural selection of those variants best-suited for their environment.
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Background information
The second major mechanism is genetic drift, an independent process that produces random changes in the frequency of traits in a population.
Genetic drift results from the role probability plays in whether a given trait will be passed on as individuals survive and reproduce. Though the changes produced in any one generation by drift and selection are small, differences accumulate with each subsequent generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the organisms. This process can culminate in the emergence of new species.
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Glossary
allopatric speciation 异域物种形成,异地物质形成 [ ] Allopatric speciation: the new species arises from a
population that is geographically separated
allo- 或 all- [] ( 前缀 ), 表示“分歧,不同”之义
其它的 , 不同的 allopatric. 分布在邻近不同地区的 同分异构的 allocholesterol. 异胆固醇
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sympatric speciation
[]
同域物种形成,同地物质形成,分布区重叠物质形成 sym- pref ( 用在字母 b, m, p 之前 ) = syn- 表示“共 , 合”
之义
synecology 群体生态学; syncarp 合心皮果; sympatric 同域的
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analogy[] 相似,同功 convergence [] n. 集中 , 收敛 ;( 生物学 ) 趋同 convergent adj.
divergence []
n. 分歧 ;( 生物学 ) 趋异 divergent adj.
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extinction[]
In biology and ecology, extinction is the c
essation of existence of a species or grou
p of taxa. The moment of extinction is ge
nerally considered to be the death of the
last individual of that species.
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macroevolution µevolution macroevolution[]//macro-
n.( 动、植物的 ) 宏 ( 观 ) 进化 , 种外进化 , 大进化
microevolution[]//micro-
n. 微进化 , 种内进化
Macroevolution is the origin of new taxonomic
groups, as opposed to microevolution, which is
genetic variation between generations within a
species.
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genetic drift 遗传漂变
Random fluctuations in the frequency of the
appearance of a gene in a small, isolated
population, presumably owing to chance
rather than natural selection.
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gene flow 基因流动
Transfer of genes from one population to
another of the same species, as by
migration or the dispersal of seeds and
pollen.
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reproductive isolation
An important concept in evolutionary biology, reproductive isolation is a category of mechanisms that prevent two or more populations from exchanging genes.
Reproductive isolation can occur either by preventing fertilization, or by the creation of a degenerate or sterile hybrid, such as the case with the common mule.
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1 how biologists define a species
A species is a population or group of popul
ations whose members have the potential to i
nterbreed with one another and produce viabl
e offspring, but who cannot produce viable of
fspring with other species.
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Alternative concepts of species
a. Ecological species concept
- Species are defined by their use of environmen
tal resources; their ecological niche (e.g. species
that are defined by their food source such as butt
erflies with certain flowers).
niche 小生境,生物居所的特定区间
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Alternative concepts of species
b. pluralistic species concept
- Factors that are most important for the
maintenance of individuals as a species
vary. These factors include reproductive
isolation, i.e. not being in the same area so
mating is precluded.
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Alternative concepts of species
c. Morphological ( 形态学 )species concept
- Species are characterized according to a unique set of structural features. This is still the most widely used concept by taxonomists( 分类学家 ).
d. Genealogical species concept genealogical[]adj.宗谱的 , 系谱的 , 家系的 - Recognizes species are sets of organisms with unique
genetic histories. This idea is based often on molecular analyses such as DNA sequences.