What is mean by natural selection?
What is mean by natural selection?
Definition
Popular Terms
Process by which evolutionary changes occur in living organisms over millionsof years. According to Darwin's theory of evolution, the organisms well adapted to their environment survive better than those who are not and are able to pass on their genes to many more offspring. As this process repeats over hundreds of thousands of years and the less-fit organisms become extinct, it appears as if nature 'selects' certain organisms over others in the same environment to continue. This biological concept is used as a metaphor for modern economic environments where very rapid pace of change requires agility in adjusting to the unanticipated situations or to lose out.
Also called survival of the fittest it is, however, not the main feature of evolution. The main evolutionary feature is the continuation of what works well (see evolution).
Natural Selection Definition Natural selection is the process that causes groups of organisms to change, or evolve, over time. Considering that animals must inherit their genetics from their parents or ancestors, and that the environment is constantly changing, it can be seen that no organism is perfectly adapted to its environment. If a parent were perfectly adapted to the environment, the environment will change, leaving the offspring maladapted to the environment. Luckily for all organisms, genetic variability causes each individual to be slightly different. These slight differences in performance can lead to differences in the amount each individual reproduces. By reproducing more, an individual creates more of the genetic variabilities that helped it succeed. The offspring of these individuals will also benefit from the genetic variables that allowed for their parents to succeed. Organisms without these genetic adaptations will not reproduce as much, and in this way their lines will someday cease to exist. Nature constantly exerts a selective force on the different genetic combinations that try to reproduce.
There is an incredible variety of selective forces in the natural world, ranging from interspecies competition, to predator-prey dynamics, to sexual selection between the different genders. The defining characteristic of natural selection is that it is a force that allows some organisms to reproduce more than others. Natural selection does not always lead to the “right” answer, as some people tend to think. Natural selection is an imperfect process. It cannot create new DNA spontaneously, or change the DNA it is given in meaningful ways. It can only slow or stop the reproduction of some DNA, while allowing other DNA to persist. Every population has the opportunity to adapt, migrate to different conditions, or go extinct in the face of natural selection.
Popular Terms
Process by which evolutionary changes occur in living organisms over millionsof years. According to Darwin's theory of evolution, the organisms well adapted to their environment survive better than those who are not and are able to pass on their genes to many more offspring. As this process repeats over hundreds of thousands of years and the less-fit organisms become extinct, it appears as if nature 'selects' certain organisms over others in the same environment to continue. This biological concept is used as a metaphor for modern economic environments where very rapid pace of change requires agility in adjusting to the unanticipated situations or to lose out.
Also called survival of the fittest it is, however, not the main feature of evolution. The main evolutionary feature is the continuation of what works well (see evolution).
Natural Selection Definition
Natural selection is the process that causes groups of organisms to change, or evolve, over time. Considering that animals must inherit their genetics from their parents or ancestors, and that the environment is constantly changing, it can be seen that no organism is perfectly adapted to its environment. If a parent were perfectly adapted to the environment, the environment will change, leaving the offspring maladapted to the environment. Luckily for all organisms, genetic variability causes each individual to be slightly different. These slight differences in performance can lead to differences in the amount each individual reproduces. By reproducing more, an individual creates more of the genetic variabilities that helped it succeed. The offspring of these individuals will also benefit from the genetic variables that allowed for their parents to succeed. Organisms without these genetic adaptations will not reproduce as much, and in this way their lines will someday cease to exist. Nature constantly exerts a selective force on the different genetic combinations that try to reproduce.
There is an incredible variety of selective forces in the natural world, ranging from interspecies competition, to predator-prey dynamics, to sexual selection between the different genders. The defining characteristic of natural selection is that it is a force that allows some organisms to reproduce more than others. Natural selection does not always lead to the “right” answer, as some people tend to think. Natural selection is an imperfect process. It cannot create new DNA spontaneously, or change the DNA it is given in meaningful ways. It can only slow or stop the reproduction of some DNA, while allowing other DNA to persist. Every population has the opportunity to adapt, migrate to different conditions, or go extinct in the face of natural selection.
