Ch 22 Origin of Species
Chapter 22: Origin of Species
Objectives
Define and differentiate between sympatric and allopatric speciation.
Be able to describe and give an example of instantaneous speciation and polyploidy.
Know what is meant by the Biological Species Concept and explain why the controversy of hybrid species surrounds it.
Distinguish between the Biological Species Concept and the Ecological Species Concept.
Differentiate between prezygotic and postzygotic isolating mechanisms.
Distinguish between the three types of postzygotic isolating mechanisms.
List the six predominant prezygotic isolating mechanisms and give examples of each.
Give two ideas that may be explanations for the development of reproductive isolating mechanisms.
Explain how geographical isolation influences allopatric speciation.
Give examples of how clusters of species reflect rapid evolution through adaptive radiations and character displacement.
Develop an appreciation for the importance of the Cambrian explosion and mass extinction events as they have led to species diversity.
Describe how extinctions during the Cretaceous led to increased opportunities for mammal diversity.
Differentiate between gradualism and punctuated equilibria.
Be able to speculate on some possible outcomes of the human species evolutionary future.
Describe how the influences of humans can affect the future of evolution.
Spiritual Concept
Genesis 1:20-25. Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day. Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
These verses were typically the verses used in the past to argue for the "fixity of species" concept. What do you think was the key phrase in the above passage that was used to argue in favor of the "fixity of species" concept?
How do you interpret that phrase now?
Provide evidence for why your interpretation is the same or different from the "fixity of species" concept.
Genesis 2:18-20. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
Why did God say that he was going to make a helper suitable for him, but not do directly, exactly as he said? In other words, why did he take so much time to first make animals which were not good helpers for Adam? (This question is not questioning what God did, but it is a chance for us to understand God better. We cannot question God in a way that doubts why he does what he does. But we can question him, just like many of other people in the Bible did, in an effort to understand him better.) Your answer must include an insight into God concerning his timing of events after he speaks. We tend to think that immediately after he speaks, it happens. Not so in this case. Why?