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Natural Selection

Natural selection is a function of evolution. It involves biological traits becoming more or less prominent depending on the needs and environment of a specific species.

666 Questions

Why is media selection so important?

Media selection is important because it determines how information is presented and consumed by the audience. The choice of media can affect the reach, engagement, and effectiveness of a message. Different media have different strengths and limitations that can impact the overall communication strategy.

Why should replenishment lead time be considered in supplier selection decisions?

Replenishment lead time is important in supplier selection decisions because it directly impacts inventory levels and customer service. A shorter lead time allows for faster response to changes in demand and helps reduce inventory carrying costs. It also helps in minimizing stockouts and improving overall supply chain efficiency.

Selection is the process of elimination justify?

Selection involves reviewing and comparing candidates based on certain criteria to identify the most suitable individual for a role. Through elimination, unsuitable candidates are ruled out, allowing the most qualified and compatible candidate to be chosen. This process ensures that the selected individual is a good fit for the position and organization.

Was Andrew carnegie a leading spokesman against Darwinism?

No, Andrew Carnegie was not known for being a leading spokesman against Darwinism. While he had some reservations about the application of Darwin's theories to society, he was not a vocal opponent of Darwinism. Carnegie was more focused on issues related to business, philanthropy, and social reform.

Sickle cell anemia in natural selection?

The genetic 'mutation' (or phenotype/genotype) that causes sickle-cell anemia didn't originate as a response to malaria. It happened and happens randomly, by simple chance. As malaria epidemics would strike some area, the people who didn't have the mutation would be less likely to survive. Thus the percent of people that had the mutation would increase, and (since it is genetic/hereditary) the percentage would quickly increase. In places where malaria was a regular hazard, the people who lacked the mutation would be rapidly selected out as the percentage of those with the mutation would have so strong a survival advantage.

The advantage was and is profound. Granted, the disease comes with a truly dreadful down-side. Regrettably, since the mutation doesn't kill you off before reproductive age, the selective pressure is simply "positive" so it only grants what seems like a genetic advantage.

What are the factors that affect the selection of equipment?

Factors that affect the selection of equipment include budget constraints, technical specifications and requirements, available space, compatibility with existing systems, energy efficiency, ease of maintenance, and warranty and after-sales support. It's important to consider these factors to ensure the chosen equipment meets operational needs and provides long-term value.

Natural selection is also known as the survival of the what?

Natural selection is also known as the survival of the fittest. It is a process where organisms with advantageous traits for their environment tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than those without such traits.

Who came up with the term natural selection?

The term "natural selection" was coined by Charles Darwin in his book "On the Origin of Species" published in 1859. Darwin used this term to describe the process by which organisms best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on their traits to future generations.

Who invented natural selection?

Evolution is what happens when organisms reproduce with variation of traits, and those variant traits are inherited by further offspring. It is the observed effect of the differential reproductive success of variants. Therefore, in order to have evolution, one single condition needs to be met: that autonomous replicators exist that reproduce with variation. The question therefore becomes: where did life originate from?

Define the Mechanism of natural selection?

As nature changes (think of weather, season, natural disaster and the way species eat each other) certain element of nature will go extinct causing the species that fail to reduce their dependency on that extinct element perish as well.

Put it on a modern perspective...

How bright and or a hard working students will get all the priviledges and leave the underachiever to find their own way also a kind of "natural selection". Students that fail to change their behaviour to work harder or smarter will have a more challenging life.

Did Stephen Jay Gould say that fossil evidence completely contradicts natural selection?

Answer 1

Although Gould was often quote-mined by creationists suggesting that Gould thought that the fossil evidence did not support common descent, none of this relates in any way to natural selection, the proposed mechanism for evolution.

Answer 2

No. Stephen Jay Gould said that natural selection was the best explanation for the evolution of species. However, he differed from Charles Darwin in his understanding of the process.

Whereas Darwin appears to have expected that evolution would be a gradual, continuous process, Gould suggested a process of punctuated equilibrium. He said that species were more likely to have remained relatively unchanged for long periods until a period of rapid evolution resulted in the evolution of new species. He felt that this was more consistent with the fossil record.

Answer 3

As a palaeontologist by profession this was Gould's area of expertise. Although revered as a great scientist Gould has received some attention from creationists for parts of his comments on the nature of the fossil record. He is quote-mined as referring to the fossil record in relation to evolution in the following way:

"The absence of fossil evidence for intermediary stages between major transitions in organic design, indeed our inability, even in our imagination, to construct functional intermediates in many cases, has been a persistent and nagging problem for gradualistic accounts of evolution."

Stephen Jay Gould (Professor of Geology and Paleontology, Harvard University), 'Is a new and general theory of evolution emerging?' Paleobiology, vol.6(1), January 1980,p. 127.

"All paleontologists know that the fossil record contains precious little in the way of intermediate forms; transitions between the major groups are characteristically abrupt."

Stephen Jay Gould 'The return of hopeful monsters'. Natural History, vol. LXXXVI(6), June-July 1977, p. 24.

"The extreme rarity of transitional forms in the fossil record persists as the trade secret of paleontology. The evolutionary trees that adorn our textbooks have data only at the tips and nodes of their branches; the rest is inference, however reasonable, not the evidence of fossils. Yet Darwin was so wedded to gradualism that he wagered his entire theory on a denial of this literal record:

The geological record is (here Gould is quoting Darwin) extremely imperfect and this fact will to a large extent explain why we do not find intermediate varieties, connecting together all the extinct and existing forms of life by the finest graduated steps. He who rejects these views on the nature of the geological record will rightly reject my whole theory. (end of quote)

Darwin's argument still persists as the favored escape of most paleontologists from the embarrassment of a record that seems to show so little of evolution. In exposing its cultural and methodological roots, I wish in no way to impugn the potential validity of gradualism (for all general views have similar roots). I wish only to point out that it was never "seen" in the rocks.

Paleontologists have paid an exorbitant price for Darwin's argument. We fancy ourselves as the only true students of life's history, yet to preserve our favored account of evolution by natural selection we view our data as so bad that we never see the very process we profess to study."

Stephen Jay Gould 'Evolution's erratic pace'. Natural History, vol. LXXXVI95), May 1977, p.14.

Gould's commitment to Darwinian evolution followed from an understanding and knowledge of the fossil record that belies the literal text of the quotes lifted out of context by creationists. What the evidence shows is clear from the completestatements of Gould and many other palaeontologists in their proper context, no matter what creationists make of them.

What is the unit of natural selection?

This is a bone of contention among some biologists, Some say that the individual organism is the smallest unit upon which natural selection directly acts and some say it is the gene.

I would check your textbook to see which way this wind blows, but most texts I have seen, or used, generally, say that the individual organism, or the individuals organism's phenotype is that which natural selection acts directly on. Of course, texts are conservative in their outlook.

Something funny here about attribution of answer, so I write this to get this answer under my user name.

What scene from this selection lingers your mind?

I'm unable to recall specific scenes from texts or provide detailed summaries. However, if you can provide the selection or book you are referring to, I could help generate a brief overview or analysis.

What is staff selection?

Staff selection refers to the process of identifying and choosing suitable candidates to fill job vacancies within an organization. This process typically involves activities such as job posting, screening resumes, conducting interviews, and making final selection decisions. The goal of staff selection is to find the best fit between the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience, and the requirements of the position.

Describe vendor selection process and criteria within supply chain.Should unit price be used as the sole criterion for selecting suppliers?

The vendor selection process in supply chain involves identifying potential vendors, evaluating their capabilities, negotiating terms, and making a final selection based on specific criteria such as quality, lead time, reliability, cost, and service level agreements. While unit price is an important factor, it should not be the sole criterion for selecting suppliers as other factors like quality, reliability, and vendor reputation can have significant impacts on overall supply chain performance. A balanced approach that considers a combination of cost, quality, and other factors is recommended for effective vendor selection.

Why do we care about variation in natural selection?

Variation is necessary for species to adapt and evolve new mechanisms or helpful alterations. Lets say a plague is killing an animal species - out of hundreds of millions of random genetic mutations (variations) in that generation (assuming there are at least a million or so of that species) some of those might make some of the species more resistent or even immune to that disease. Those animals' offspring will survive longer and reproduce more, and eventually their offspring will outnumber the non-resistent non-immune population, in effect replacing a weaker species with a slightly stronger, more sophisticated one.

That is natural selection, and it doesn't work without random genetic variations for environmental pressures to "select".

What does Darwinism universal acid mean regarding worldview and culture?

This refers to the far-reaching impact of Darwinism. It has been shown to be influencing ideas seemingly far removed from the scientific sphere in which it originated. The idea of a 'Universal Acid' is that 'Darwin's dangerous idea' as Daniel Dennett called it (in his book by this name) has had a corrosive effect in relation to religion, philosophy and human morals which have 'eaten away' as acid does on much that existed previously. One way it has done this is to remove, for many, the solid basis for both religion and morality previously held.

Did natural selection give rise to our ability to drive automobiles?

No, our ability to drive automobiles is not a trait that has evolved through natural selection. Driving is a learned skill and is not influenced by genetic traits that are subject to natural selection.

How was Charles Darwin's theories of natural selection were apllied to social Darwinism?

It wasn't!

Social Darwinism is a concept developed by Herbert Spencer and has nothing to do with the biological theory of evolution by natural selection. It is a Landmarkian concept in a fashion as groups compete with groups and acquired group superiority's are passed on. Also, the theory of evolution by natural selection is a individual selection theory, basically, and has nothing to do with group selection of this nature. Darwin was not pleased by this Spencerian corruption of his theory.

PS: I, personally, am appalled that this nonsense is still being taught in schools. Tell your teacher ( sociology, perhaps? ) to get a clue!

What is the major difference between social Darwinism and Darwin's idea of survival of the fittest?

The major difference is that social Darwinism applies Darwin's principle of "survival of the fittest" to human society, often to justify competition, inequality, and laissez-faire capitalism, while Darwin's idea itself refers to the natural selection process in the biological realm, where traits beneficial for survival and reproduction are passed on to future generations. Social Darwinism extends this concept to human interactions and societal organization.

How does social darwinism relates to natural selection?

Social Darwinism is a belief system that uses the principles of natural selection to justify social inequality and competition between individuals and groups in society. It draws parallels between the survival of the fittest in the natural world and the "struggle" in human societies. While natural selection explains how traits evolve in a population over time based on their survival and reproductive success, social Darwinism extends these principles to human interactions and societal structures.

When was the theory of natural selection developed?

The theory of natural selection was developed in the middle to late 1800's by a brilliant man by the name of Charles Darwin. Im not sure of an exact date - but his book Origin of Species was published on November 24, 1859. Of course research and speculation were made much earlier in order to come to the conclusion of his theory of Natural selection and evolution being the root of where and how life came to be and progress so diverse. Hope this helps a little...

What are six examples of natural selection?

One classic but hypothetical example is Daisyworld. In this hypothetical model, we envision a planet inhabited by a single species of life, a single population of daisies. These come in two variants: black daisies and white. The colour is a trait that is passed on genetically to offspring. In the model, that star at which the planet revolves is variant, increasing or decreasing in intensity, changing the amount of light/heat the planet is exposed to. Black daisies will absorb more sunlight, increasing temperatures at the planet surface, while white daisies reflect more sunlight, cooling the planet. Theoretically, increasing temperatures should make things uncomfortable for the black daisies, who heat up faster because of their colour, relative to the white daisies, so that when solar luminosity increases, white daisies gain a reproductive advantage over the black daisies.

A similar example but from real life is the evolution of the peppered moth during and after the industrial revolution. Initially, lighter moths and darker moths were in equilibrium, but as the industrial revolution caused soot to stain the surfaces on which moths frequently settle, and predators could more easily distinguish the lighter moths against the darkening surfaces, darker moths gained a reproductive advantage, as they more often survived predation.

Four more findings are:

Herrel, 2008, Rapid large-scale evolutionary divergence in morphology and performance associated with exploitation of a different dietary resource.

This paper describes how in a few short decades a population of lizards transported to a different environment gained different morphological features by adapting to its new habitat.

Rolshausen, 2009, Contemporary evolution of reproductive isolation and phenotypic divergence in sympatry along a migratory divide.

This paper describes how the interaction between migratory flocks and human settlements is causing a speciation event to occur between flocks that migrate along routes including cities, and those migrating away from cities.

Lenski, 1989, Long-Term Experimental Evolution in Escherichia coli. I. Adaptation and Divergence During 2,000 Generations.

This paper describes morphological changes and associated increased in fitness during the experimental evolution of E. coli populations.

Byrne, 1999, Culex pipiens in London Underground tunnels: differentiation between surface and subterranean populations.

Describes the divergence between above-ground populations of mosquito and populations living in the London Underground, leading to the emergence of a new species.

Can RNA undergo natural selection and evolve?

If RNA is used as a genetic molecule, passing traits from parent to offspring, then it is subject to natural selection.

This only happens in a number of viruses and very few bacteria, though: most organisms use DNA as their genetic molecule.

When will natural selection favor altruism?

Altruism is basically when a member sacrifices itself for the well being of the population. If the population that was protected has favorable traits, they will be naturally selected for and over generations become dominant in the population. If they weren't protected, the population could die out.