What is Natural Selection?

Page 1

What is Natural selection

By Xander Foley Linzel


Table of Contents Page .1 Introduction Page .2 Directional Selection Page .3 Artificial Selection Page .4 Mutations and Point Mutation Page .5 Charles Darwin

Page .6 Glossary Page .7 Sources


Natural selection is a key topic of evolution. It has many key parts and depends on other things such as mutations, point mutations, and selective breeding, (another way to evolve organisms). Natural selection has many parts and is very hard to explain. This essay has the facts about natural selection and other concepts that you need to know to understand natural selection.


Directional selection (Natural selection) Directional selection Is a process in which organisms, when born with their special modifications made to their DNA, either reproduce or don't. If their special mutation or modifications are favored modifications then nature will select it to reproduce. If it doesn't have a favored modification it will most likely die and not be able to reproduce. Natural selection is the most important branch of evolution. Everything in evolution depends on natural selection to guide it.


Artificial selection

Artificial selection is an unnatural way of selection where humans chose which organism reproduce and which don't, only for human good. When an organism reproduces with its special modification the modification is then most likely passed on to their offspring. The farmers or breeders usually use this to their advantage and always select the one with their favorite trait, such as more leaves on the plant or kinder dogs.

Artificial selection is a process that is more controlled and efficient towards humans. This process can also be called selective breeding. The breeder does not make the animal or organism like some people think they just chose which one they like best and let it reproduce creating more like it. Breeders choose the best one. Offspring get half father and half mother DNA so it does not always get the fathers or mothers abilities because it is a random half of DNA so they do necessarily get the best traits.


Mutations and Point Mutations A mutation happens when an organism is being born, the organism copies DNA from the mom and dad’s DNA but it is never copied exactly the same and little changes are made. A point mutation is a part of a big scale mutation. A point mutation is a little change in one little part of the DNA. A human can have up to 70 point mutations these mutations change hair color, eye color, and other features. Mutations are what make evolution evolution. Examples of mutations are taller bodies, heavier bodies, or camouflage. A favored mutation is simply a mutation that is more suitable or helpful than others .An example of a favored mutation in the wild is camouflage such as the octopus, its skin can change color and pattern and can also change shape. An example of a non favored mutation Is maybe a green bug in a desert because it would be spotted easily by pray. Any traits organisms gain during life ,not in DNA, can not be passed to offspring when offspring are born. Mutations in real life are not like those of mutations in movies where people gain laser eyes or super powers. A big mutation like webbed hands or longer joints take years and years to finalize. Crossbreeding is when you reproduce with a relative like a cousin or a sibling and have a child but the side effects can be really bad for the child. This applies to all organisms like animals or plants. Charles Darwin is an example of this he married his cousin and when they had ten kids three died of a disease most likely caused from crossbreeding and the other seven had mental issues and some could not have babies.


Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin Charles Darwin was the founder of evolution and natural selection. He went on a trip around the world to note different organisms in different places. When he was traveling in the Galapagos islands he found finches on each island the finches had a different beak for what they ate. The finches that ate cacti had long and pointy beaks. The finches that ate bugs had short and wide beaks That is when Darwin made the theory of evolution and natural selection. Over the rest of the trip around the world his theory was just proved over and over. Natural selection is very important to life on earth if natural selection did not take place there would be no humans. Only bugs on earth because all dinosaurs would not evolve and die out.


Glossary Organisms: A living thing in an environment Breeder: A human that breeds animals Offspring: Children and babies Reproduce


Sources http://statedclearly.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection

http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/ current/lectures/selection/selection.html http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_25


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