Darwin’s evolutionary theory is made up of four forces which are mutation, gene flow, gene drift, and finally natural selection. In the example of the Grant’s finches, the founder effect, a.k.a. genetic drift, is clearly described in the Natural Selection in Action: Galapagos Finches handout when it said, “This small founder population to survived and reproduced, and through genetic drift and natural selection accumulated sufficient variations over time to establish a variety of new species.” It is important to understand that the process of natural selection is closely linked to the environment a particular species inhabits. In the case of the Grant’s finches, there was described to be fourteen species of Galapagos finches, which evolved from a common ancestor. The Galapagos finches is a prime example of adaptive radiation because the Grant’s study displayed how the shapes of the finches beaks varied in order to best equip them for the differing habitats and diets they had.
However the unreliability of the results makes the claim an ongoing discussion and an open debate. The theory of evolution, first proposed by Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) implies that all species are derived from common ancestors through natural selection (Phoenix, 2007 p.118-121). Natural selection is thought to be the main factor resulting in the diversity of species: it has been defined as a natural process, whereby only the variants best adapted to their environment develop the ability of a longer survival and pass on the best characteristics to future generations. Natural selection in species leads to 'adaptation' which is a change in behaviour as a consequence of surrounding modification. Within humans many adaptations have happened through Darwin’s theory of natural selection, one of these adaptations is called Theory of Mind.
Over long periods of time variations in a species occur in a population, so the later generations are distinct from ancestral ones. In this time a new species may appear. Geographic location and selective pressures also contribute to the formation of a new species. If there is a natural barrier, (mountains, oceans etc) species will begin to adapt to the different environments, thus causing basically a new species such as the Galapagos finches. An important thing to emphasize is that natural selection is the individual while evolution is the population.
Species adapt to their environment by a hereditary process. These species do not rely on environmental adaption. They do this for their own good, so they can survive. Changes take place in organisms very frequently. “As we see that those variations which, under domestication, appear at any particular period of life, tend to reappear in the offspring at the same period…” (Darwin 410).
Nature Versus Nurture Defined Nature versus nurture is a debate between scientists and researchers about which is the most influential in human development: nature or nurture? Nature is defined as the genetic inheritance of an individual. Nurture is defined as the environmental experiences, both biological and social) that an individual experiences during his or her life-span. Some people believe that nature is the most influential on development whereas others believe nurture is the most influential (Santrock, 2010). Those who favor the nature side believe that an individual grows in a chronological order that is affected by evolution and genetics.
BIO 215 PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY LAB1:A SIMULATION OF THE EFFECT OFNATURAL SELECTION ON A POPULATION NAME: FLORENCE OABOLOKA SURNAME: GADIGANGWE ID: 201301296 DATE: 3 FEBRUARY 2015 TITLE: THE EFFECT OF PREDATION ON NATURAL SELECTION PROCEDURE OD A POPULATION The theory of natural selection takes a long time to observe in real life as there is a lot of information to be gathered, therefore it can be tested and observed using model systems to see what can happen in a real world. Natural selection is a gradual process in nature in which organisms possessing certain genotypic characteristics that make them better adjusted to an environment tend to survive, reproduce, and perpetuate their essential genotypic qualities to succeeding generations (Cambell and Reece, 2005). The individuals that survive are said to be best suited or adapted to that environment (Speight et al 2008). This is because there is variation amongst the organisms in the population the better suited traits in the organisms are carried to the next generations (Sadava et al 2012). In this study the concept of natural selection was studied using a predation model where different coloured samp samples ware used to represent insects, different environments were used to see if they had any effect on natural selection.
Darwinism and Natural Selection, this is a more difficult topic to defend, because these people or beings have to be created in order to survive by adaptation. Since evolution is simply the change in population based on the surroundings and changing lifestyles in order to stay alive, this could very well be a credible argument to follow. Success in evolution can lead into new varieties and new species, on the other hand, failure may lead to extinction of the certain species. There are four main points of evidence when it comes to evolution. The change in fossil record in earlier species.
Hence the concept of holistic approach, which investigate the complex system as a whole and not by splitting it and recombining it as classic reductionist, appear and plays critical role in depicting the near causalities biochemical mechanisms in complex organisms. Together with Darwin theory of evolution, the Mendel theory of unit of heredity did an instant impact in the evolution of molecular biology that eventually set up the platform (indirectly) for its revolution. The discovery of nucleic acids 1944 by Avery et al, the discovery of double helix structure of DNA in 1953 by
Personality? Height? This list can go on forever, because according to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, individuals in a species show a wide range of variation. This variation is because of differences in their genotype. Take guinea pigs for example, it is hard to find 2 identical guinea pigs with the same color patches, as each and everyone has slight differences in the order of their DNA, which causes variation.
Section 2: From caveman to modern man. How did we come to be the chemistry puzzle box we are? “Neo-Darwinism postulates that natural selection acts on the heritable (genetic) variations within individuals in populations and that mutations (especially random copying errors in DNA) provide the main source of these genetic variations. Because positive mutations seem to be rare, Neo-Darwinism contends that evolution will be a slow, gradual process.”(ISCID - International Society for Complexity Information and Design. Web.