Natural Selection and Variation
Natural Selection and Variation
Natural Selection and Variation
Variation
Objectives
Define Variation
Define Natural Selection
Explain the importance of heritable
variation to selection.
Environmental factors as forces for
natural selection
Variation
Variationis all the differences which
exist between members of thesame
species.
Variation of characteristics in a
population is due to both genetic and
environmental factors
For each characteristic, the
population shows either continuous
or discontinuous variation.
Continuous Variation
Continuous variation has a broad range
of measurements, with many
intermediates, from one extreme to the
other.
Characteristics that show continuous
variation exists on a continuum.
E.g. Height; hand span, shoe size; milk
yield, leaf length, skin colour.
Continuous variation is the combined effect
of many genes (polygenic inheritance)
Continuous Variation
The graph showing a characteristic of
continuous variation is a bell-shaped
curve known as a normal
distribution
Discontinuous Variation
This is where individuals fall into a number of
distinct classes or categories, and is based
on features that cannot be measured across a
complete range.
An individual either have the characteristic or
don't.
A bar graph is used to represent a
discontinuous variation.
Controlled by alleles of a single gene or a small
number of genes. The environment has little
effect on this type of variation.
E.g: blood type, eye colour, tongue rolling,
Types of Variation
Heritable Variation.
Heritable variation makes possible for
Weeding out negative mutations,
passing on positive and neutral ones.
Without heritable variation, species
would quickly fall victim to parasites
who take advantage of identical
genetic material in a population and
evolution would not occur.
Natural Selection
Organisms that are best adapted to
an environment survive and have
greater reproductive success than
others.
Process in which individuals that have
certain inherited traits tend to survive
and reproduce at higher rates than other
individuals because of those traits.
Peppered Moth
Terms to Understand
Environment: the biotic and abiotic
surroundings of organisms
Species: a group of individuals who can
interbreed to produce viable fertile offspring.
Species name: written in italics, two part
scientific name . E.g. Homo sapiens (humans)
Population: members of the same species that
live in the same area
Instraspecific: between members of same
species
Interspecific: between members of different
species
Cactus-eater. Geospiza
scandens
Insect-eater Certhidea
olivacea)
Seed-eater. (Geospiza
magnirostris)v
Although they are of different
species, they evolved from a
common ancestor species based
on their feeding pattern
Darwins Observations
Explained
Observations 1 & 2: Although all living
organisms have reproductive capacity for
continuation of the species, population
size are limited by environmental factors
such as:
Food Availability
Space
Light
Darwins Observations
Explained
NOBODY!
!
Selection Pressure
Selection: a process by which those
organisms which appear physically,
physiologically and behaviourally better
adapted to the environment survive and
reproduce.
Population size and environmental factors
produce a selection pressure on which traits
(alleles) or phenotypes will pass on to the
next generation
Three modes of selection are: Disruptive,
Stabilising and Directional
Directional selection
Directional Selection: occurs when conditions
favour individuals exhibiting one extreme of a
phenotypic range, thereby shifting a
populations frequency curve for the phenotypic
character in one direction or the other.
common when a populations environment
changes or when members of a population
migrate to a new (and different) habitat.
Directional Selection
Neck of Giraffe
Antibiotic resistance of
bacteria
Moth color (melanin)
Camouflage/Mimics
Many sexually selected
traits
Disruptive Selection
Occurs when conditions favour
individuals at both extremes of a
phenotypic range over individuals
with intermediate phenotypes.
Causes species to diverge
Disruptive Selection
Causes divergence within
the species
Occurs when two different
types of resources in one
area
Results in specialization
for each branched group
May lead to formation of
new species
E.g. Darwins Finches
Stabilizing Selection
Acts against both
extreme phenotypes
and favours
intermediate variants.
This mode of selection
reduces variation and
tends to
maintain the status quo
for a particular
phenotypic character
Occurs when conditions
are optimal/ not severe
and competition is
minimal