Evolution

Evidences, Natural & Artificial selection

 Evolution by Natural Selection
In an environment, individual organisms in a population exhibit
variation. The variations are coded for by different alleles. These
variations in alleles are caused by random mutations.

If there is an environmental selection pressure, some of the

variations will be more beneficial than others. These beneficial
variations provide those organisms a selective advantage over the
other organisms. The organisms with the beneficial alleles will tend
to live longer and reproduce more as they are better adapted to the
environment. This is also referred to as “survival of the fittest”.
 Evolution by Natural Selection

Therefore, these beneficial alleles are inherited by the next

generation as they are selected for. The other organisms without
these alleles might not live as long and not produce offspring. Their
alleles are selected against.

Over time, after many generations, the proportion of the organisms

with the beneficial alleles will be much higher than those with the
other alleles. This may ultimately even to lead to the formation of a
new species or a significant change in the existing species.
 Evolution by Artificial Selection
Plant and animal species exhibit variations in their populations.
Many wild varieties of plants and animals have been domesticated
by humans over several centuries. These domesticated species
appear strikingly different from the original wild ancestors.

Humans identify organisms with desirable traits in a population.

They select such organisms and breed them in a deliberate
manner. The offspring produced will also be closely observed. Only
those offspring showing the desirable traits will be selected again
and made to breed. Over several generations of repeatedly
selecting and crossing only offspring with the desired trait, a new
strain of the species is created artificially by human intervention.
 Evolution by Artificial Selection
This is because the organisms with the desirable traits possess
alleles different from the others. By selective breeding, humans
increase the chance of ensuring the favourable alleles are
propagated over the generations and not the other alleles.
 Evidence supporting the Theory of Evolution
1. Comparative morphology and anatomy
2. Comparing DNA sequences
3. Fossil studies

1. Comparative morphology and anatomy: This is by observing

the structures across species and looking for similarities and
differences. It is now established that vertebrates share a
similar limb structure called as the pentadactyl limb structure.
 Evidences supporting the Theory of Evolution
2. Comparing DNA sequence:

With technology, scientists have sequenced the DNA from cells of organisms
across species. Comparing the DNA sequence has revealed that similarities exist
between closely related species. For example, humans and chimpanzees share
99% of their DNA.

3. Fossil studies: Paleontologists study fossils of organisms after carefully

excavating them. Fossils are the preserved remains of dead organisms from the
past. As we dig, we observe fossils in layers. It is noted that fossils closer to the
surface show more complex organisms and the deepest located fossils are of
much simpler organisms. There are also fewer types of fossils in deeper layers.
These facts also support the theory of evolution over time from fewer ancestors.
 Keywords - Evolution

population adaptations Allele frequency anatomy

environment Survival of the Selection pressure morphology

fittest
variation reproduction evolution DNA sequence

alleles inheritance Natural selection Artificial selection

mutations change evidence Selective breeding

traits time fossils Desirable traits

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