Charles Darwin, associated with Cambridge University, revolutionized science with his theories of evolution. His ideas birthed new ways of understanding how species came to be. According to Darwin , the key driving force behind evolution is natural selection, which occurs under environmental pressures leading to speciation or changes within species. It favours the traits most adept to surviving in an environment’s conditions and weeds out those that are not through the four aspects of natural selection, survival of the fittest, reproduction, genetic variation, and over population, are affected by environmental changes. Different environmental pressures, the aspects of natural selection will be explored and supported by 2 examples within this
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Treefrogs fall prey to snakes and birds, so camouflage to their environment is an advantageous trait to have in order for these frogs to survive. Grey treefrogs are well camouflaged in dark-wooded forests, whereas Green Treefrogs are well camouflaged in the greenery of marshes and swamps simply due to the colour of their skin. Therefore, it makes sense that overtime, green treefrogs mostly populated the marshes and swamps of the south of America and the grey treefrogs populated the dark forests of the north of America. This is because the green treefrogs that live in the dark-wooded forests and the grey treefrogs that live in the green vegetated habitats would struggle to survive as they stand out from their environment and will be the first to be preyed upon. Natural selection has occurred and has favoured the well-camouflaged treefrogs as the treefrogs that survive have a chance to reproduce and pass on their traits to their offspring. As exposed, un-camouflaged frogs are eaten and camouflaged frogs reproduce and pass on their traits, the well-camouflaged colour of frogs prove to be the most ‘fit’ to survive and overpopulate their corresponding habitats to create to different species of treefrogs …show more content…
An antibiotic resistant bacteria is a bacteria that has grown resistant to or is unaffected by antibiotics. This is a big threat to humanity as antibiotics are our only frontier against fatal diseases. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that causes rotting of the flesh, but in its original state, can be simply cured by Penicillin. By the 1950s, S. aureus evolved a common resistance to which the scientists responded with Methicillin, but only to grow resistant within a year. S. aureus has continued to grow resistant to antibiotics ever since and has developed into MRSA, taking more lives than HIV in the USA. However, these deadly, resistant strains of bacteria were in fact created by our own antibiotics through incomplete antibiotic dose cycles and the systems of natural selection. When using antibiotics, all bacteria must be eradicated from the body by completing full cycles of antibiotics. However, the misuse of antibiotics has left the strongest bacteria free to roam in the body. Like natural selection dictates, the most ‘fit’ to survive last the longest, eradicating weaker bacteria first. As the symptoms diminish, the intake of antibiotics is discontinued and the strongest of the bacteria is unknowingly left behind. With the reproduction and overpopulation of these strong bacteria bring about the drug resistant
Treefrogs fall prey to snakes and birds, so camouflage to their environment is an advantageous trait to have in order for these frogs to survive. Grey treefrogs are well camouflaged in dark-wooded forests, whereas Green Treefrogs are well camouflaged in the greenery of marshes and swamps simply due to the colour of their skin. Therefore, it makes sense that overtime, green treefrogs mostly populated the marshes and swamps of the south of America and the grey treefrogs populated the dark forests of the north of America. This is because the green treefrogs that live in the dark-wooded forests and the grey treefrogs that live in the green vegetated habitats would struggle to survive as they stand out from their environment and will be the first to be preyed upon. Natural selection has occurred and has favoured the well-camouflaged treefrogs as the treefrogs that survive have a chance to reproduce and pass on their traits to their offspring. As exposed, un-camouflaged frogs are eaten and camouflaged frogs reproduce and pass on their traits, the well-camouflaged colour of frogs prove to be the most ‘fit’ to survive and overpopulate their corresponding habitats to create to different species of treefrogs …show more content…
An antibiotic resistant bacteria is a bacteria that has grown resistant to or is unaffected by antibiotics. This is a big threat to humanity as antibiotics are our only frontier against fatal diseases. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that causes rotting of the flesh, but in its original state, can be simply cured by Penicillin. By the 1950s, S. aureus evolved a common resistance to which the scientists responded with Methicillin, but only to grow resistant within a year. S. aureus has continued to grow resistant to antibiotics ever since and has developed into MRSA, taking more lives than HIV in the USA. However, these deadly, resistant strains of bacteria were in fact created by our own antibiotics through incomplete antibiotic dose cycles and the systems of natural selection. When using antibiotics, all bacteria must be eradicated from the body by completing full cycles of antibiotics. However, the misuse of antibiotics has left the strongest bacteria free to roam in the body. Like natural selection dictates, the most ‘fit’ to survive last the longest, eradicating weaker bacteria first. As the symptoms diminish, the intake of antibiotics is discontinued and the strongest of the bacteria is unknowingly left behind. With the reproduction and overpopulation of these strong bacteria bring about the drug resistant