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Natural Selection

The document discusses natural selection and how it leads to evolution over time. It explains that genetic variation exists within populations, and there is competition for limited resources that results in only the best adapted organisms surviving and reproducing to pass on their traits. The process of natural selection acting on this variation and differential reproduction over many generations is what drives evolutionary change in populations and speciation.

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88 views15 pages

Natural Selection

The document discusses natural selection and how it leads to evolution over time. It explains that genetic variation exists within populations, and there is competition for limited resources that results in only the best adapted organisms surviving and reproducing to pass on their traits. The process of natural selection acting on this variation and differential reproduction over many generations is what drives evolutionary change in populations and speciation.

Uploaded by

london - jai
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Natural Selection

GCSE Biology
Learning Outcomes

SB4.2 Recall the cause of genetic variation.

SB4.2 Describe how adaptations allow organisms to


survive.

SB4.2 Explain how natural selection allows some


members of a species to survive better than others
when conditions change.
Evolution
Evolution is the change in adaptive
features of a population over time as
the result of natural selection.
Natural Selection

 During the 18th Century


people began to accept
the idea that species
gradually evolved into
other species.
 Darwin and Wallace both
came up with the same
idea about how this
happened. Charles Darwin
(1809-1882)
Variation

Within each population of organisms there will


variation.
The main causes of variation are:
 gene mutation
 meiosis
 random fertilisation of gametes
31/01/2023
Natural Selection
1)Each species shows genetic
variation.

Each species also produces


many offspring.
31/01/2023
Natural Selection
2) There may be environmental presures/change in the area
resulting in competition within each species for food, living
space, water, mates etc

Get off
my land

3) The “better adapted” Gutted!


members of these species are
Yum
more likely to survive –
“Survival of the Fittest”
4) These survivors will reproduce and pass on
their alleles to the next generation who will
show these better adapted variations.
To summarise

 Within each population there is genetic variation.


 Each species produces many offspring.
 This results in there being more individuals than can be
supported by the available resources.
 This leads to competition and a struggle for survival.
 The individuals which are best adapted to their environment
reproduce, passing on their alleles to the next generation
 This is the process of natural selection.
 Evolution – if the environment remains unchanged,
natural selection will occur over many generations to
select the characteristics which are most favourable to
that environment.
Discuss which of the pairs of statements are
correct.
Only the largest and strongest Organisms that are better adapted
organisms survive the struggle for to their environment have a greater
existence. chance of reproducing.

An organism with a good adaptive Organisms mutate so that they


feature that gives it an advantage become better adapted to their
has a good chance of passing this environment.
feature on to the next generation.

An organism that lives in a very Only variations that are caused by


cold place and grows thick fur will genes, not by the environment can
pass on the characteristic for thick be passed on to offspring.
fur to it’s offspring.
 
EXAMPLES OF NATURAL SELECTION
Peppered moths
The Peppered Moth

 The dark form arose from a mutation.


 Birds prey on peppered moth.
 Light form well camouflaged in ‘clean’ habitat.
 Industrial air pollution killed lichens and darkened tree
trunks and walls.
 Dark form better camouflaged in ‘sooty’ habitat.
 Clean Air Act reduced industrial pollution so that
proportions of light and dark variations again
changed.
The Woolly Mammoth

Elephants and woolly mammoths arose from the same


common ancestor.
In this area the climate got colder.
How do you think the mammoth arose from Primelephas?
Task
Answer questions 1-5 from page 78-79 in your
textbook
The development of strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria
as an example of natural selection

Consider the four steps of natural selection in the example of some


bacteria that has become resistant to penicillin:

1) Variation – some strains of bacteria are


Bacteria resistant and some aren’t. This arises
because of a mutation
2) Competition – The non-resistant bacteria
are killed by the penicillin.
3) The best adapted (resistant) bacteria
survive and reproduce.
4) They pass on the beneficial antibiotic
Penicillin resistance alleles to their offspring.

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