AQA A Level Biology复习笔记7.3.5 Evolution

• The allele frequencies (within the gene pool) of a population can change over time due to processes such as natural selection
• When the allele frequencies of a population change sufficiently over time, the characteristics of the species will also change
• These changes can become so great that a new species forms
• This process is known as evolution
• Evolution can be defined as:

The formation of new species from pre-existing species over time, as a result of changes to gene pools and allele frequencies from generation to generation

• The formation of new species via the process of evolution has resulted in a great diversity of species on planet Earth
  • Theoretically, at the origin of life on Earth, there would have been just one single species, to begin with
  • This species evolved into separate species (i.e. new species)
  • These species would then have divided again, each forming new species once again
  • Over millions of years, evolution has led to countless numbers of these speciation events, resulting in the millions of species now present on Earth

   

Evolutionary change over a long period of time has resulted in a great diversity of species

• The evolution of a new species can take a very long time and many generations
• For organisms with a short generation time (such as bacteria), evolution can be observed far more quickly