Unit 4 of 8

Mechanisms of Evolution

Evolutionary Processes

Explore evolutionary theory, population genetics, speciation mechanisms, and the history of life on Earth.

5 Chapters

30 Hours

Olympiad 5/5

Key Themes

Natural selection and evidence for evolution
Population genetics and Hardy-Weinberg
Speciation and phylogenetics
History of life on Earth

Chapter RangeCh. 22 - 26

Olympiad RelevanceEssential

Chapters in This Unit

5 chapters covering evolutionary processes

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

5h5/5intermediate

Darwin and the voyage of the Beagle • Natural selection mechanism

The Evolution of Populations

7h5/5advanced

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium • Genetic drift and bottleneck effect

The Origin of Species

6h5/5intermediate

Species concepts • Reproductive isolation mechanisms

The History of Life on Earth

6h4/5intermediate

Geological time scale • Origin of life hypotheses

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

6h5/5advanced

Phylogenetic tree interpretation • Cladistics and clades

What You'll Master in Unit 4

Natural selection and evidence for evolution

Population genetics and Hardy-Weinberg

Speciation and phylogenetics

History of life on Earth

Unit 5: The Evolutionary History of Biological Diversity

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