In three to five sentences, construct an argument for the claim that natural selection leads to evolution. Provide evidence for this claim, and be sure to explain how an organism shows the four parts of the process of natural selection. You may use any organism with the exception of bacteria and antibiotic resistance...
3 answers
Natural selection leads to evolution because it acts upon heritable traits within a population, ultimately driving changes in the genetic makeup of the species over time. This process can be observed in various organisms, such as Darwin's finches, where variations in beak size and shape have led to different feeding adaptations on the Galápagos Islands. The four parts of natural selection - variation, inheritance, differential survival, and reproduction - are evident in this example as individuals with beaks better suited to their specific food sources are more likely to survive and pass on their beneficial traits to future generations. Through this mechanism, populations can gradually evolve and adapt to their environments, highlighting the central role of natural selection in driving evolutionary change.
use simpler terms
Natural selection is like a competition where the best-adapted ones survive and have babies. Over time, this process leads to changes in the traits of a population. For example, in a group of birds, those with longer beaks might be better at gathering food, so they end up having more babies. As a result, the population as a whole evolves to have longer beaks over generations. This shows how natural selection shapes the characteristics of organisms to better fit their environment.
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