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There are on the chromosomes stretches of DNA that do nothing. Their only purpose is provide matching stretches so the chromosomes match-up during fertilization. In here mutations occur but have no 'large' effect on the phenotype of the life-form. (If enough of them occur then the chromosome become of a different length and certain mating pairs can no longer match-up, but that takes a while to get a difference in length that really matters.)

Geneticists use these stretches and the changes in them to track evolutionary path-ways.

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Which mutations are NOT subject to natural selection - lethal physiological neutral or morphological?

Neutral mutations confer no benefits or handicaps and are therefore not affected by natural selection.


Natural selection is due to?

beneficial mutations


How does slow change over time occur genetically?

Through mutations in DNA, and natural selection of advantageous mutations.


What are the pressures of natural selection?

Everything from available food to climate will cause the changes we see in natural selection. Random mutations occur constantly and when those mutations are beneficial for life, the genetic code is more likely to be passed on to future generations.


How does natural selection affect the frequency of mutatons?

Natural selection works on mutations that are already in place. The environmental changes will select for certain mutations if the selective pressure is supplied long enough for several generations of offspring to carry a higher percentage of the mutation.


Which is not a way in which natural selection affects the distributions of phenotypes?

Mutation is not a way in which natural selection affects the distributions of phenotypes. Mutations introduce new genetic variations, which can then be acted upon by natural selection to influence the distribution of phenotypes within a population.


What is the relationship between mutation natural selection and adaptation?

Mutations are random changes in an organism's genetic material that can introduce new traits. Natural selection is the process by which certain traits become more common in a population because they confer a survival or reproductive advantage. Over time, beneficial mutations can lead to adaptations—traits that enhance an organism's fitness in its environment. Thus, mutations provide the raw material for evolution, while natural selection shapes which of those mutations are preserved, leading to adaptive changes in species.


Explain the role of mutations in evolution?

Mutations are the material upon which natural selection acts. Evolution is a two sided coin. One side is mutation; the other side is natural selection. Without mutation there is no significant variation. Mutations are, however, ubiquitous. Every organism is a mutant. Evolution can be summarized as the non random survival of randomly varying replicators.


Are new alleles made by natural selection?

No - natural selection does not create new alleles. Variation in alleles needs to exist in the population in order for natural selection to occur. Natural selection will involve the change in allele frequencies over time, but it does not create new alleles. New alleles are the result of mutations.


What is the source of new traits in a population?

New traits in a population can arise through mutations in the DNA of an organism. Mutations are changes in the genetic code that can result in new characteristics that may be passed on to offspring. These traits can then be subject to natural selection and other evolutionary mechanisms.


What has the author George C Williams written?

George C. Williams has written: 'The pony fish's glow' -- subject(s): Adaptation (Biology), Evolution, Human evolution 'Plan and purpose in nature' -- subject(s): Adaptation (Biology), Evolution, Human evolution, Natural selection, Evolution (Biology) 'Natural selection' -- subject(s): Natural selection 'Adaptation and natural selection' -- subject(s): Adaptation (Biology), Natural selection


Why are mutations and conjugation important for natural selection in prokaryotes?

Becauase they need to adapt to the new environment to enter the bodies