THEORY OF NATURAL SELECTION

· Natural Selection

Defined as survival and reproduction of the organisms that are genetically best adapted (suited) to the environment.

· Natural Selection

It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations.

· Natural Selection

Organisms that are best adapted to an environment survive and reproduce more than others.

Popularised by:

· Charles Darwin

« Father of Evolution « An English naturalist, geologist and biologist

Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection occurs in four steps:

· Overpopulation - Each species produces more offspring that can survive.

· Variation - Each individual has a unique combination of inherited traits.

Why is “variation” important?

· Because the environment changes.

· The more variation within a species, the more likely it will survive.

· The more variation of types of species in a habitat, the more likely at least some will survive.

· Competition - Individuals compete for limited resources, just like food, water, space, and mates.

» Natural selection occurs through “Survival of the fittest”.

» Fitness is the ability to survive and reproduce.

· Selection - The individuals with the best traits/adaptations will survive and have the opportunity to pass on it’s traits to
offspring.

» Evolution occurs when good traits build up in a population over many generations and bad traits are eliminated by the
death of the individuals.

Classification of Natural Selection

· By effect on a trait - Selection has different effects on traits: Stabilizing selection, Directional selection, and Disruptive
selection.

· By effect on genetic diversity - Selection can be divided according to its effect on genetic diversity.

· By life cycle stage - Another option is to classify selection by the life cycle stage at which it acts.

· By unit of selection - Selection can also be classified by the level or unit of selection.

· By resource being competed for - Sexual selection results from competition for mates.

What is the best example of “Natural Selection”?

Peppered Moth
« Species of moth in two varieties: light gray and dark gray.

« The light gray version used to be far more common, but researchers observed that between 1848 and 1898 the dark
colored ones were becoming more common.

« Change in moth coloration occurred at the same time that coal was becoming a major source of power in England.

« More of the dark ones survived in the dark covered industrial setting and more of the light colored ones survived
where the tree trunks remained light in color.

« Changes in the environment caused changes in the characteristics that were most beneficial for survival.

« The individuals that were well adapted to the new conditions survived and were more likely to reproduce.

It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent but the one most responsive to change –
Charles Darwin

Q:

Differences among individual members of the same species are referred to as.... – Variation

According to Darwin's theory of natural selection, the individuals that tend to survive are those that have... - variations
best suited to the environment.

Darwin called the ability of an organism to survive... – Fitness

Individuals in a population that have a variation which gives them an advantage in their environment are more likely to
... - survive and reproduce.

Who wrote a book about human overpopulation that influenced Darwin's thinking. – Thomas Malthus

Natural selection is when ____________ decides who survives and who doesn't - nature

The process of Natural Selection causes evolution. What is changing over time? - The inherited traits of a population.

______ allows adapted organisms to survive and pass traits along to offspring. – Natural Selection

Organisms with the most beneficial traits will survive. This is commonly known as ___. - survival of the fittest

According to natural selection, light colored tree trunks would favour what color of peppered moth? light colored moths