This chapter explores mutation and variation under the context of inheritance. It
highlights how genetics offers a vast trove of information about the history of life on
Earth and the evolutionary factors acting on living species. The replication of DNA is an
exquisitely precise affair, but errors can still be made which make mutations the ultimate
source of genetic variation in all organisms. Generally, mutations come in various forms and
these differ in how much of a genome they affect. Some species have mechanisms that
contribute to inheritance and play a role in evolution regardless of genetics.
Chapter
Mutation and Variation
Chapter
The Evolution of the Theory: Changing Views
This chapter discusses the changing views into the development of an evolution theory. Modern Synthesis is a set of tools for thinking which builds a model of the evolving living world. Modern Synthesis emerged from the re-interpretation of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species following the re-discovery of Gregor Mendel's work on genetics and the establishment of August Weismann's cell theory. The chapter notes how natural selection is known to be the main driver of evolutionary change, which is observed through the shifts in allele frequencies in populations. Additionally, behavioural systems, symbolic systems, and epigenetics help explain evolution theory.
