Natural selection changes the genetic makeup of a population by favoring some genotypes over others. It does so through the differential reproduction of those genotypes. Put simply, if I possess a variant of a trait (and the genotype underlying it) which allows me to leave behind more adult offspring than those with different variants of that trait, then my variant will become more common in the population than the others. The result is a change in the frequency of the gene variants: mine increases in frequency at the expense of the others. This change in the frequency of gene variants (known as alleles) over time in a population is the basic definition of evolution itself.
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Natural selection can affect a population by increasing the frequency of advantageous traits, decreasing the frequency of disadvantageous traits, and promoting the adaptation of individuals to their environment.
The three ways that natural selection can affect the distributions of a phenotype are that organisms and their offspring have a variation in their phenotypes and genotypes, favorable variations survive and are passed on to offspring, and, organisms reproduce more offspring than could possibly survive.
The three ways natural selection can affect a population is through directional selection, stabilizing selection, and disruptive selection.
It decreases variation in a population as certain traits are selected for by the environment.
Disruptive selection and directional selection are two types of natural selection that impact the evolution of a population in different ways. Disruptive selection favors extreme traits at both ends of the spectrum, leading to the divergence of a population into two distinct groups. On the other hand, directional selection favors one extreme trait, causing the population to shift towards that trait over time. In summary, disruptive selection promotes diversity within a population, while directional selection drives the population towards a specific trait.
Micro-evolution can occur through natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow. Natural selection involves the differential survival and reproduction of individuals with certain advantageous traits. Genetic drift refers to random changes in allele frequencies in a population due to chance events. Gene flow involves the movement of genes between populations through migration, influencing the genetic diversity of each population.
Different ways for evolution to occur exist due to various mechanisms such as natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, and mutation. These mechanisms can act independently or in combination to drive changes in populations over time. Additionally, environmental factors play a significant role in determining which mechanisms are most prominent in a particular population or species.
Humans affect the biosphere in numerous ways. One of the most common ways in which humans impact the biosphere is by their extraction of Natural Resources. Growth and expansion is another way in which humans affect the biosphere.
Speciation is the process by which new species evolve from existing ones due to factors like geographic isolation or natural selection.