The four forces of evolution include natural selection, mutation, gene flow, and genetic drift. Natural selection is the foremost force in evolution. It states that biological traits which increase survival will become more frequent in each subsequent generation. It is the most prominent force in evolution because members of a population that inherit these traits live longer, and produce more offspring. Another force of evolution is mutation, the only cause of new genetic material. A mutation is the creation of a new trait through a change in an organism’s gene or chromosome. The end result can be an advantageous, deleterious, or neutral. Gene flow is the third cause of evolution, and is the result of interbreeding with another population with
