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| Charles Darwin: Age 7 |
"Natural Selection", why is this even a topic to speak about? Well if you read through this blog I will be able to explain to you how much this topic has to do with you and every living thing around you. In other words, I am saying that natural selection is basically what made you what you are today so,and who would not want to know more about themselves? With this in mind please allow me to explain Natural Selection, Natural Selection is a simple concept that really has different fundamentals attached to it due to it being a major mechanism of evolution.
Although many people associate Charles Darwin with being the inventor of Natural Selection this is false because most educated people in the 19th century in Europe already had exposure to the concept of evolution. However, Charles Darwin did carry out the necessary research to document that evolution has occurred and then made the idea acceptable for scientists and the general public. Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection states that inheritable variations occur in individuals in a population.
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| Diversity in Gene Pool |
Its also important to remember that genetic variations along with mutations are vital parts in natural selection because you need more than one specific type of gene to have a stable surviving species. For example you and I have different genetic variations such as our physical attributes, I may be able to run faster than you and this will help me survive better because I'm less likely to be captured by a predator. Although this certain trait may not be past down to my offspring because chance and random events can influence the evolutionary process.
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| Hardy-Weinburg Equilibrium equation |
Although the mathematical point of view to look at natural selection can be overlooked and may seem non-interesting, it gives lots of necessary information to learn more about natural selection. Math is used in natural selection to calculate the changes in allele frequencies, and gives evidence for the happening of evolution in a population. Such as graphical analysis of allele frequencies in a population and the application of the Hardy-Weinburg equilibrium equation. Which may seem a bit foreign to you but actually a really simple equation, p^2+ 2pq + q^2=1, p just simply stands for the dominate trait in an allele and q stands for the recessive trait. The most important key to dissecting a Hardy-Weinburg problem is just to be able to identify specifically what they're asking. Take a look at the picture to the right to have a better grasp of this.
Another fundamental of natural selection is its act on phenotypic variation in populations. This simply means that environments change and act as selective mechanism on population. To emphasize on this think of flowering time in relation to global climate change. Also keep in mind that phenotypic variations are not caused by the environment but happen through random switch ups in the DNA and through new gene combinations.
Now with these things considered you can come to conclusion that natural selection is basically what made you and without it you would not even be able to read this or be alive.
Sources:
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
"Evolution." Sources of Variation: Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
"The Hardy Weinberg Equation." Ecology: Web Extension 6.1. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
