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Every individual within a population is different. Some differences are minor, some major, some noticable, others not.

These differences are all caused by mutation: a deviation from the DNA blueprint of the population, because reproduction of cells in the feotus is not perfect.

The individuals that have mutations beneficial to survival & reproduction & nurturing of proginy outlast all the others, over time, as those mutations are passed onto their young.

This is natural selection, which changes the population.

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Does an individual a population or a species evolve?

A species evolves over time through the process of natural selection acting on individuals within a population. Individuals themselves do not evolve, as evolution refers to changes in the genetic composition of a population over generations.


Does the process of evolution occur at the individual level, where selection happens to individuals, or at the population level, where selection happens to populations?

Evolution occurs at the population level, where selection happens to populations rather than individuals.


Does natural selection act on individuals or on a broader scale within a population?

Natural selection acts on individuals within a population. It is the process by which certain traits that are advantageous for survival and reproduction become more common in a population over time.


How can one calculate the selection differential in a population?

To calculate the selection differential in a population, you subtract the mean of the selected individuals from the mean of the entire population, and then divide by the standard deviation of the entire population. This helps measure how much the selected individuals differ from the overall population in terms of a specific trait.


What are the differences between directional selection and disruptive selection in the process of natural selection?

Directional selection occurs when individuals at one extreme of a trait have a higher fitness, leading to a shift in the population towards that extreme. Disruptive selection occurs when individuals at both extremes of a trait have higher fitness, leading to the population splitting into two distinct groups.

Related Questions

In an unchanging environment selection in a well adapted population is?

In an unchanging environment, selection in a well-adapted population is stabilizing selection. This type of selection favors individuals with intermediate phenotypes, maintaining the status quo of the population's genetic characteristics.


Natural selection requires that individuals in a population are?

Natural selection requires that individuals in a population are


Does an individual a population or a species evolve?

A species evolves over time through the process of natural selection acting on individuals within a population. Individuals themselves do not evolve, as evolution refers to changes in the genetic composition of a population over generations.


What characteristics must population first have for nautral selection to occur?

Individuals are selected, but in the population of organisms there are many variations, some better at survival and reproduction than others, and against the immediate environment, what natural selection really is, these beneficial variations will be selected.


Does the process of evolution occur at the individual level, where selection happens to individuals, or at the population level, where selection happens to populations?

Evolution occurs at the population level, where selection happens to populations rather than individuals.


What are four limitng factors of natural selection?

the factors that are necessary for natural selection by evolution to occur are: 1)variation in characteristics;different individuals in a population must have different characteristics. 2)differencies in fitness different characteristics of different individuals must contribute to differences and fitness. 3)heritability of characteristics characteristics that affects fitness must be heritable.... example:passed by genes from one generation to the next)


What happens to individuals whose characteristics are not well suited to environment?

According to natural selection the individuals can be rare from the enviroment


What is an assortative mating?

An assortative pairing is another name for an associative mating, the mutual attraction or selection of individuals with similar characteristics for reproductive purposes.


Selection favors one extreme form of a trait in a population.?

Tends to result in a population whose individuals have extreme traits is what? ----> it is directional selection


Does natural selection act on individuals or on a broader scale within a population?

Natural selection acts on individuals within a population. It is the process by which certain traits that are advantageous for survival and reproduction become more common in a population over time.


What is relative selection?

Relative selection refers to the process by which certain traits or characteristics increase or decrease in frequency within a population based on their advantages or disadvantages in a given environment. It emphasizes the comparison of individuals within the same population, where traits that enhance survival and reproductive success relative to others are favored. This concept is key to understanding natural selection, as it highlights the competitive dynamics among individuals rather than absolute fitness.


Which type of natural selection in which the mean characteristics of a population are preserved?

This type of natural selection is called stabilizing selection because the mean traits of the population are being selected for against the immediate environment.