
The theory of natural selection – Charles Darwin
- There is variation among the phenotypes of individuals in a population.
- Competition (for food, mates etc) causes a struggle for existence.
- The best-adapted individuals survive and the less well-adapted individuals do not survive – this is differential survival.
- The surviving phenotype (the fittest) is able to reproduce.
Full Answer
How do variations relate to natural selection?
Natural selection is the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change. Individuals in a population are naturally variable, meaning that they are all different in some ways. This variation means that some individuals have traits better suited to the environment than others. Individuals with adaptive traits—traits that ...
How does variation lead to natural selection?
Which factors affect natural selection?
- Reproduction. …
- Heredity. …
- Variation in Characteristics. …
- Variation in Fitness.
What variations does natural selection depend on?
Natural selection unlike mutation is always beneficial to the organisms and brings only positive adaptations that help it better survive and reproduce. Genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection, along with gene mutations cause useful variations that are transmitted to the offspring and appear more prominently in future generations.
What traits are being selected in natural selection?
Sexual selection is a special case of natural selection in which the traits being selected for are directly related to mating success. As with natural selection, sexual selection was first described by Charles Darwin in On the Origin of Species: “This leads me to say a few words on what I have called Sexual Selection.

What does variation in natural selection mean?
Natural selection is the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change. Individuals in a population are naturally variable, meaning that they are all different in some ways. This variation means that some individuals have traits better suited to the environment than others.
What is meant by variation in evolution?
Variation is the difference in the characteristics of individuals in a population. They occur due to recombination and mutation, whereas evolution is the gradual process of change in inheritable characteristics of a population over several generations. Evolution occurs through natural selection.
What is natural variation examples?
A person's skin color, hair color, dimples, freckles, and blood type are all examples of genetic variations that can occur in a human population.
Why is variation important in natural selection?
Variation allows some individuals within a population to adapt to the changing environment. Because natural selection acts directly only on phenotypes, more genetic variation within a population usually enables more phenotypic variation.
What is the concept of variation?
The Law of Variation is defined as the difference between an ideal and an actual situation. Variation or variability is most often encountered as a change in data, expected outcomes, or slight changes in production quality. Variation usually occurs in four separate areas: Special causes. Common causes.
What is variation short answer?
Variation can be defined as any difference between the individuals in a species or groups of organisms of any species. The mutation is the ultimate source of genetic variation, but mechanisms such as sexual reproduction and gene flow contribute to it as well.
What is an example of a variation?
Variation refers to the difference between two individuals of a species. Genetic variation arises due to mutation and recombination during meiosis. Examples of variation are different skin colour, eys, height, resistance to diseases, etc.
What is variation and its importance?
It helps a species to survive,it also helps us to determine who is who,it helps organisms to adapt to their environment as well as to changes which do occur in the environment,however it also helps a species to emerge strong if favoured by natural selection.variation helps a species to be resistant to diseases,thus if ...
What is the role of variation in evolution?
Genetic variations that alter gene activity or protein function can introduce different traits in an organism. If a trait is advantageous and helps the individual survive and reproduce, the genetic variation is more likely to be passed to the next generation (a process known as natural selection).
Does natural selection cause variation?
Natural selection can produce genetic variation among demes within a metapopulation if different selective pressures prevail in different demes.
How does variation occur?
Mutations, the changes in the sequences of genes in DNA, are one source of genetic variation. Another source is gene flow, or the movement of genes between different groups of organisms. Finally, genetic variation can be a result of sexual reproduction, which leads to the creation of new combinations of genes.
What is the role of variation in evolution?
Genetic variations that alter gene activity or protein function can introduce different traits in an organism. If a trait is advantageous and helps the individual survive and reproduce, the genetic variation is more likely to be passed to the next generation (a process known as natural selection).
What is variation class 10th?
Variation can be defined as any difference between the individuals in a species or groups of organisms of any species. The differences can be caused by environmental factors (phenotypic variation), called environmental variation.
What is the meaning of variation in genetics?
Genetic variation is the presence of differences in sequences of genes between individual organisms of a species. It enables natural selection, one of the primary forces driving the evolution of life.
What are variations give examples?
Variation refers to the difference between two individuals of a species. Genetic variation arises due to mutation and recombination during meiosis. Examples of variation are different skin colour, eys, height, resistance to diseases, etc.
What is a random mutation?
A random mutation (DNA change ) occurs in a single bacteria.
Which group of individuals is more likely to survive and reproduce?
Individuals with characteristics most suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Why do bacteria evolve so quickly?
Bacteria can evolve quickly because they reproduce at a fast rate. Mutations in the bacteria’s DNA could make them resistant to certain antibiotics, such as penicillin, and will no longer be killed by the antibiotic. Evolution of the bacteria is an example of natural selection and supports Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Does DNA change affect the organism?
Sometimes the DNA change can have no effect at all. For example, if the codon AAG mutates into AAA, the protein is unaltered because both of these codons both code for the same amino acid. Therefore, this mutation will have no effect on the organism. This is the case for most genetic mutations. Very rarely do mutations have a significant impact on the organism. An example of this is the mutation which causes sickle cell anaemia. A change in DNA sequence of the gene which codes for haemoglobin results in a change to an amino acid in the protein, causing haemoglobin to fold into an awkward shape. The misfolded haemoglobin cannot carry oxygen effectively, resulting in sickle cell anaemia.
What are the two types of variation?
Organisms of the same species vary in many ways. There are two types of variation – continuous and discontinuous. Natural selection explains how evolution occurs.
What is differential survival?
The best-adapted individuals survive and the less well-adapted individuals do not survive – this is differential survival.
Why are living organisms adapted to their environments?
Living organisms are adapted to their environments in order to survive.
What is natural selection?
Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, along with mutation, migration, and genetic drift.
What happens if you have variation, differential reproduction, and heredity?
If you have variation, differential reproduction, and heredity, you will have evolution by natural selection as an outcome. It is as simple as that.
Who is the author of Natural Selection from the Gene Up?
Natural slection from the gene up: The work of Elizabeth Dahlhoff and Nathan Rank , a research profile.
Why do beetles have offspring of the same color?
The surviving beetles (more of which are brown) have offspring of the same color because this trait has a genetic basis.
What is genetic variation?
Genetic Variation. Genetic variation refers to differences among the genomes of members of the same species. A genome is all the hereditary information—all the genes—of an organism. For instance, the human genome contains somewhere between twenty and twenty-five thousand genes. Genes are units of hereditary information, ...
How does genetic variation affect organisms?
Genetic variation in a group of organisms enables some organisms to survive better than others in the environment in which they live . Organisms of even a small population can differ strikingly in terms of how well suited they are for life in a certain environment. An example would be moths of the same species with different color wings. Moths with wings similar to the color of tree bark are better able to camouflage themselves than moths of a different color. As a result, the tree-colored moths are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on their genes. This process is called natural selection, and it is the main force that drives evolution.
What is the meaning of allele in biology?
Photograph by J.S. Houser. allele. Noun. alternative forms of a gene.
What is the basic unit of heredity?
Noun. change in heritable traits of a population over time. gene. Noun. part of DNA that is the basic unit of heredity. gene flow. Noun. movement and exchange of genes between interbreeding populations. genotype.
What is artificial selection?
Artificial selection is a method used by humans to produce varieties of animals and plants which have an increased economic importance. People use selective breeding to produce new varieties of a species, so that certain desirable traits are represented in successive generations.
What is mutation in biology?
Mutation is an unpredictable change in the genes or chromosome number, as a result of fault copying when DNA is replicated, faulty separation of chromosomes during cell division, or exposure to radiation or some chemicals.
What is variation in biology?
Variation, or the occurrence of heritable differences leading to formation of evolutionary innovations, and
What are the processes that generate genetic and epigenetic variation?
Biochemical processes that generate genetic and epigenetic variation are subject to control and targeting within the genome by cell regulatory networks; and. Cell change activities reflect the life-history experience of the organism and thus provide the basis for ecological feedback into evolutionary variation.
Can we have selection without variation?
Now that we know how "spontaneous" variations arise, it is time to recognize that we cannot have selection without variation by natural genetic engineering and epigenetic modifications. To make further progress in our understanding, we need to investigate the respective roles of natural genetic engineering and natural selection in evolutionary innovation. Where, in fact, do "the good ones" really come from?