Evolutionary Biology

Core Concepts

• Natural Selection: The differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype.
• Genetic Drift: Random changes in allele frequencies over time, especially in small populations.
• Speciation: The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.
• Adaptation: Heritable characteristics that increase an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Related Fields

• Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Paleontology
• Ecology

Key Theories

• Endosymbiotic Theory: Proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from symbiotic relationships between different organisms.
• Neo-Darwinism: Combines natural selection with Mendelian inheritance to explain evolution.

Historical Context

• Charles Darwin: Proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection in On the Origin of Species (1859).
• Gregor Mendel: Laid the foundation for genetics with his work on inheritance in pea plants.

Modern Research

• Epigenetics: The study of changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence.
• Horizontal Gene Transfer: The movement of genetic material between organisms in a manner other than traditional reproduction.

Related Entities

• Charles Darwin
• Gregor Mendel
• Anton Petrov

New Research Areas

• Prion and Start of Life: Explores the role of prions in the origin of life, particularly through the Protein World Hypothesis.
  • Historical Context: The Fore Tribe and Kuru disease in Papua New Guinea.
  • Protein World Hypothesis: Did prions start life?
  • Video [[concepts/summary|Summary:]] 2026 04 14 Anton Petrov Prion and start of life

Backlinks

• 2026 04 14 Anton Petrov Prion and start of life