What are 3 factors leading to evolution?

Answer 1

Evolution is driven by a change in environment. A large interbreeding population in a static (unchanging) environment faces little need for the acquisition of new adaptations.

Competition for resources (whether from other members of one's own species or other) can drive evolutionary change.

The availability of new forms (random mutations) also plays a factor. Mutagens may come in the form of radiation or chemicals, and sometimes simple exposure such as viral infections. Natural selection can only operate when there is something to select. If the environment changes more rapidly than mutations can keep pace with, extinction results. Most of the species that ever existed have subsequently disappeared.

Your question sounds like it came from a book, and you would do well to read the chapter and determine what three factors the author had in mind. Otherwise, how would some person decide there were 3 factors, and not 2 or 7?

Answer 2

Three factors that would increase the rate of evolution would be the intensity of directional selection, an increase in the birth rate, hence an increase in the number of possible beneficial mutations, and an increase in the population size.

Answer 3

I'm not sure what you mean by "factors", but I can say this:

Evolution is either caused by genetic drift or natural selection.

For natural selection to work, there are four conditions:

1. Natural Variations

2. These Variations have to be inheritable

3. Time

4. Winners and Losers

Genetic Drift is simply a change in allele frequency based on pure chance. This could include natural disasters which kill off a large fraction of a certain allele, thus causing the unkilled allele to become more prominent.

Be careful when dealing with new populations. Example:

A group of people are shipwrecked onto an island. One Survivor is colorblind. After a period of time, 90% of the population is colorblind. This is an example of _________.

I had incorrectly answered "genetic drift". The correct answer is "The Founder Effect", which is where a new population is founded. THis is a subset of genetic drift.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

1. An increase in the rate of reproductive variation. Example: any factor that increases mutation rates, such as an increase in radiation levels.

2. Anything that increases the rate of attrition of less reproductively fit individuals. Example: an increase in predation.

3. In smaller populations, variations in alleles can become fixed much faster.

Answer 5

The common mantra!

Mutation. variation and natural selection.

Mutation is a random process that will happen, just in no set order. This leads to variation in an organisms phenotype. Then the organisms tyhat is best suited to the immediate environment for survival and reproductive success will be naturally selected. Then adaptive evolution; the change in allele frequency over time in a population of organisms.

Answer 6

Genetic mutations and their subsequent heritability.