Variation

LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Define the term variation.

 Discuss the fact that variation occurs within, as
well as between, species.
 Describe the differences between continuous
and discontinuous variation, using examples of
a range of characteristics found in plants,
animals and other organisms.
 Explain both the genetic and the environmental
causes of variation.
 Give a definition of Variation
Variation is the range of differences that
there are between individual organisms.
Variation can be within species
(Think of all the differences between individual humans)
These are different varieties of the same species
Or between species:
Gorilla Proboscis monkey
Variation can be
CONTINUOUS,
ie have any value between
two extremes.
Eg:
Height of human
Body mass of cats
Trumpet length of daffodils
Leaf width of shrub
Length of bacteria
All these features

show normal
distribution (see graph)
 Variation can be
DISCONTINUOUS , in this
case there only a few
possible categories that the
characteristic can fall into.
 EG:
Flower colour in a single
species
Human blood group or
ear lobe type
Bacteria that are or are not
resistant to an antibiotic
Genetic variation Environmental variation
Each tomato is different because it These plants are genetically
comes from a plant with identical, the flower colour
different alleles, that code for difference is due to the effects
different characteristics of soil pH.
GENETIC ENVIRONMENTAL
Differences that are due Differences that are due
to the DNA inside the to the external
cells of the organism environment. For
rather than the effect example availability
that its surroundings of water, nutrients,
have on it. light, prevailing
winds.
 Many of the differences between species
are present because they help the
individuals to survive.
 We call these differences ADAPTATIONS.
You should understand that there are
Adaptations to:
ANATOMY or body FORM,
PHYSIOLOGY or body FUNCTION
BEHAVIOUR
 SAGUARO CACTUS
 Accordion folded stem is
fleshy to store water
 Roots mostly less than 15cm
deep but cover huge area
 1 deep tap root
 Can absorb 750 litres water
in a single storm
 Leaves reduced to spines to
reduce transpiration rate
 Waxy cuticle reduces
transpiration
 Stomata only open at night
 Adaptations of
Marram Grass, a
xerophyte
 Rolled leaf
 Thick cuticle
 Sunken stomata
 Epidermal hairs
What is the purpose of
these adaptations?
Explain how they work
using AS vocabulary
Make notes on the
diagram provided
 Outline the behavioural, physiological and
anatomical (structural) adaptations of
organisms to their environments
 You should be able to suggest several
different types of adaptations of
organisms that help them to survive.
 Make note of some examples from the
“Journey of Life” DVD
 Choose one example from the DVD and
research further
 Explain the consequences of the four
observations made by Darwin in proposing his
theory of natural selection.
 What are the 4 observations that Darwin made?

 1. Offspring generally appear similar to parents.
 2. No two individuals are identical. (Why not?)
 3. organisms have the ability to produce large
numbers of offspring
 4. Populations in nature tend to remain fairly
stable in size.
 SO what are the consequences?
 Because individuals over produce, yet
populations remain stable COMPETITION must
take place.
 In COMPETITION there are “winners” and
“losers”. Winners are better adapted with more
useful characteristics, they are more able to
survive and breed, so pass on their beneficial
alleles.
 Over time when this happens continually,
accumulated changes can give rise to a new
species.
Outline how variation, adaptation and
selection are major components of
evolution.
Differences in organisms
How do they arise
Where do these changes happen
How can they be passed on
 Variation in organisms characteristics are
caused by the organisms having different alleles
of genes.
 Some differences enable the organism to
survive better (compete more successfully)
 The ones with beneficial alleles survive, breed
and pass on their alleles to the next generation
 Those without beneficial alleles die before they
reproduce, so their alleles are less likely to be
passed on.
 The beneficial alleles increase in frequency in
the population and may eventually produce a a
new species.
 Competition for food, water
 Predation
 Disease
 Physical and chemical factors
 Competition for mates
 Competition for space, nesting sites, territory etc
An allele that helps an organism compete better is “selected
for”, increases in frequency
An allele that fails to help an organism survive is usually
“selected against”, decreases in frequency

Darwin proposed that
Natural Selection could lead
to new species being
produced over time.
This was his explanation for
the large number of different
species of finch found in the
Galapagos Islands.
Each species has adaptations
to its body, beak and feet
that allow it to feed on
specific types of food in
specific areas.
 Speciation occurs when there is a
“Reproductive Barrier”, some thing that
stops members of an original population
passing their alleles freely among all
members, ie PREVENTS FREE GENE FLOW
 The barrier may be a geographical barrier
= ALLOPATRIC speciation
 The barrier may be behavioural,
biochemical, or anatomical =SYMPATRIC
speciation
 When there is NO geographical barrier
 Initially individuals in the original species
may have variations that can be divisive
of the population.
 Eg in birds some might have slightly:
different shaped beaks
 shorter wings,
 better nocturnal vision,
 different colour plumage or courting
behaviour, etc
 Fossil record- simplest organisms in oldest rocks, old
species extinct, new species develop. Reptile/bird link,
horse evolution, human evolution.
 Biochemical- Similar biochemistry of all living things,
closely related species have similar biochemistry, the
longer ago they diverged the more different the
biochemistry.
 Amino acid sequences in cytochrome c (used in
respiration)
 Polypeptide chains of DNA and RNA polymerase in higher
organisms with extra sub units to help regulation of DNA
and RNA production.
 DNA differences are greater between species which are
not closely relsted
•Offspring generally appear
similar to their parents.
•No two individuals are identical
•Organisms have the ability to
produce large numbers of
offspring
•Populations in nature tend to
remain fairly stable in size.
(From fossils)
•In the past, there were species

different from those present today.
•Old species died out.
•New species have arisen.
•The new species are often similar to
the older ones in the same
place………
Darwin felt more
modern species
had variations that
meant they were
better adapted to
the environment.
 Links between major groups (Archaeopteryx)
•Well documented evolution (Equus

and Homo sapiens) in the fossil record.
Biological Molecules
 If one species gives rise to another, both

are likely to have the same biological
molecules.
 Biological molecules in closely related
species are identical or very similar.
 In species that took separate
evolutionary paths a long time ago, the
biological molecules are likely to differ
more.
 (cytochrome and certain proteins)
Protein variation.
 Proteins such as DNA polymerase and

RNA polymerase are found in all living
things.
 Higher organisms have added extra
subunits to make the processes of DNA
and protein synthesis more efficient.
DNA
•Genes can be compared by sequencing the bases in the

DNA.
•Shows that closely related species evolved relatively
recently as separate species.
•Distantly related species have more changes to their DNA.
(Therefore must have evolved as separate species further
back in time)
 This evidence can be used to support
decisions made about classification.
 Phylogeny is the study of evolutionary
relationships between organisms (p201)
 Decisions are made using the criteria from
the previous slide and other tests
 Natural Classification groups organisms
according to how closely related they are;
this should match the evolutionary tree
produced by considering how recently
organisms shared a common ancestor.

Variation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Variation

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Variation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

LEARNING OUTCOMES

 Define the term variation.

All these features

 What are the 4 observations that Darwin made?

•In the past, there were species

•Well documented evolution (Equus

 If one species gives rise to another, both

 Proteins such as DNA polymerase and

•Genes can be compared by sequencing the bases in the

You might also like