natural selection and animal behavior (3)

ZOO4513

driving force in evolution

natural selection

what is evolution

change in the frequencies of different alleles in population over generations

population

group of interbreeding organisms of the same species

Speciation

the separation of populations as to prevent breeding between them

Darwin’s observation 1 

Individuals within a given population will vary (in phenotypes)

Darwin’s observation 2

some of these varying traits are inheritable (genetically based)

Darwin’s observation 3

Those inheritable traits that confer an advantage are more likely to result in the production of more offspring 

Darwin’s Conclusion

Since offspring are more likely to inherit their parent’s beneficial traits these traits will increase in frequency in a population over time

Adaptations

traits that exist because they allow individuals to survive and outcompete other members of the population