Evidence for evolution, phylogeny, speciation and the origin of life

Learning objectives

Describe the evidence for common ancestry from the fossil record, homologous structures, comparative embryology, shared biochemical pathways and conserved DNA and protein sequences

Distinguish homologous from analogous structures, and explain how convergent evolution produces similarity without recent common ancestry

Construct and interpret a phylogenetic tree or cladogram from morphological or molecular data, identifying the most recent common ancestor of named taxa and explaining what branch points represent

Distinguish allopatric from sympatric speciation, and explain the roles of reproductive isolation, prezygotic and postzygotic barriers and adaptive radiation

Explain how extinction, including mass extinction, opens ecological niches and influences subsequent diversification

Describe the main hypotheses for the origin of life on Earth, including abiotic synthesis of organic monomers, the RNA world and the formation of protobionts, and state the evidence for each