Throughout this unit on Natural Selection, I have learned about different variations of mutations in animals, including point mutations, insertion mutations, deletion mutations, and frameshift mutations. Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are best adapted to their environment survive and reproduce at a higher rate, passing their advantageous traits on to future generations. The fitness of different animals in nature, particularly the finches studied in this unit, is determined by their ability to obtain food, avoid predators, and successfully reproduce.
A phenotype refers to the physical characteristics and traits of an organism that are a result of both genetic and environmental factors. This can include traits such as beak size, wing length, and coloration. On the other hand, a genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, which includes the specific combination of genes and alleles that determine the traits displayed in the phenotype. By studying the variations in phenotypes and genotypes within populations of finches, researchers can gain insight into how natural selection drives changes in populations over time.
Write a summary of what you have learned about Natural Selection this unit. Answer the following questions in paragraph form (5-10 sentences):
What are the different variations of mutations in animals that you have learned about? What is natural selection? What determines the fitness of different animals in nature (specifically the finches that were studied in this unit)? What is a phenotype? What is a genotype?
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