Kin selection

evolutionary trend that causes this increase because for many species, having a bigger body size results in an increase in fitness. However, there are several changes that occurred in the Equidae family that are as significant to evolution as body size. The discovery of Equidae fossils worldwide has provided excellent evidence of the evolution which has affected many characteristics of the family. An example of one or the most notable alternations seen between the first ancestor, the Eohippus…

Selection is the idea that individuals in a given population with certain traits will survive and produce more offspring because they have certain desired traits. In turn, this will create a change in the population. There are three main ingredients that are necessary for selection to occur within a population. These three ingredients are variation, differential success, and heredity. Variation is the differences among individuals in the composition of their genes. Genes are what determine…

Agouti Gene and Natural Selection In “Adaptive Evolution of Multiple Traits through Multiple Mutations at a Single Gene” by Catherine R. Linnen et al. the article discussed how mutations of multiple traits from a single gene led species to thrive in their environment. The research was based upon the phenotype of light-colored mice being selectively advantageous on the sand soils of Nebraska Hills. The fur of the mice evolved into a light- pigmentation to prevent from being attacked by predators.…

Eugenics is choosing traits in order to make all of society “better”. This practice has a terrible reputation because it was practiced by the Nazi’s in order to create a master race. Hence, why they exterminated those with mental and physical incapacities. It was also encouraged for those who worked within the regime to make sure their partners had good genetics with a healthy family history. According to the Deutsche Welle, thousands of people were forcibly sterilized because their genetics…

Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection are concepts well known by most people. Evolution being a change in a population over time and natural selection essentially coming down to survival of the fittest and being a key mechanism of evolution. In the case of seahorses, rather the 54 species of marine fishes in the genus Hippocampus, the male and female seahorses have evolved a series of unusual adaptations for the purpose of increasing their overall fitness. A common misconception…

The natural simulation done in class was a good representation natural selection in the wilderness. The four things that Darwin identified that must be present in order for natural selection to occur are genetic variation, overproduction of offspring, struggle for existence, and differential survival and reproduction. This activity demonstrated all these factors except genetic variation. For over production of offspring, the beans’ populations were multiplied by three after every round. This is…

The Recent and Current Evolution of Homo Sapiens Humans are still evolving today, even though many environmental pressures have been removed from society. And numerous scientists would even agree that the evolution process has hastened. This includes changes to the brain, skeletal system and immune system. Numerous changes in civilization have produced these adaptations ("Are Humans Still Evolving?"). The loss of our wisdom teeth stands as proof of our present evolution. Today, food can be…

Whitney Noonan 3/17/2016 Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was his way of explaining adaptation and speciation. This theory gave a reason as to why species “change” over time and explained the process. This was a huge discovery for Darwin because now we know that species are not fixed and are changing. Ethology, the study of animals in their natural environments, also played a role in the development of Darwin’s theory. Konrad Lorenz’s geese imprinting experiment…

on the island’s finch population that further supported Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection. The Galapagos Islands have about 13 species of finches that differ in size and in diverse habitats and may have originated from the same finch ancestor that arrived from the mainland about two million years ago. The three factors for evolutionary process, variability, selection by differential fitness, and heritability, are key to tracking the “micro-evolution” of the Galapagos…

Introduction Charles Darwin is famous for his book, The Origin of Species, where he proposed that evolutionary change in populations is due to natural selection. His idea was that of survival of the fittest. In other words, the species with superior traits would have more of a likelihood to live, and then breed more offspring. Slowly, more and more of the species with the superior traits will survive and multiply. But what is it that gives these species the better survival trait, and allows…