/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Q. 20 Describe natural selection and g... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

91Ó°ÊÓ

Describe natural selection and give an example of natural selection at work in a population.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Natural selection is an important evolutionary mechanism that aids in the modification of heritable features, which are passed down across generations.

Step by step solution

01

Natural selection : 

It is described as a process in which organisms reproduce and survive in diverse ways as a result of phenotypic alterations. It comprises a mild variation of a trait, which is retained if the variance benefits the individuals.

02

Explanation : 

Natural selection can occur in a predictable or ad hoc manner. As a result, it may be classified into the following categories:

Directional selection

Stabilizing selection

Disruptive or Diversifying selection

Kin selection

Sexual selection.

Natural selection, together with mutation, migration, and genetic drift, is the primary mechanism of evolution. Natural selection may be shown in the following examples:

1. There are red and green bugs in a habitat. The birds prefer the taste of just red bugs, therefore as the process continues, the green bugs generate more green bugs, while the quantity of red bugs decreases.

2. In an ecosystem, some giraffes have long necks while some have short necks. However, food bushes are available at a good height. As a result, giraffes with short necks would eventually run out of food and die out. However, only a few generations of long-necked giraffes survive.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

When closely related individuals mate with each other, or inbreed, the offspring are often not as fit as the offspring of two unrelated individuals. Why?

a. Close relatives are genetically incompatible.

b. The DNA of close relatives reacts negatively in the offspring.

c. Inbreeding can bring together rare, deleterious mutations that lead to harmful phenotypes.

d. Inbreeding causes normally silent alleles to be expressed.

Imagine you are trying to test whether a population of flowers is undergoing evolution. You suspect there is selection pressure on the color of the flower: bees seem to cluster around the red flowers more often than the blue flowers. In a separate experiment, you discover blue flower color is dominant to red flower color. In a field, you count 600 blue flowers and 200 red flowers. What would you expect the genetic structure of the flowers to be?

Which of the following evolutionary forces can introduce new genetic variation into a population? a. natural selection and genetic drift

b. mutation and gene flow

c. natural selection and nonrandom mating

d. mutation and genetic drift

When male lions reach sexual maturity, they leave their group in search of a new pride. This can alter the allele frequencies of the population through which of the following mechanisms?

a. natural selection

b. genetic drift

c. gene flow

d. random mating

Population genetics is the study of:

a. how selective forces change the allele frequencies in a population over time

b. the genetic basis of population-wide traits

c. whether traits have a genetic basis

d. the degree of inbreeding in a population

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Biology Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.