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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 cant natural selection be the means by which a species come into being?
Natural selection is the primary way for organisms to evolve.æ However, it is not the only variable involved in evolution. Artificial selection,æwhereby specific traits are chosen to evolve by humans, is now commonplace and because we can genetically engineer organisms we will continue to do so.
Does natural selection eliminate Huntington's disease?
No. Typically the symptoms of HD do not become apparent until long after a person would be of child bearing age.
How does natural selection provide a mechanism for evolution to occur?
by having sexual intercourse with hoes and getting money
How can sight drive natural selection?
Through predation, for instance. Under particular circumstances, prey that are able to detect - see - predators sooner will have a better chance of getting away, and passing their better sight on to offspring, than prey with poorer eyesight.
Were men and women originally created by God as extremely intelligent beings?
Other answers from the WikiAnswers community:
Opinion
- Man was not created by God. We evolved naturally from earlier species.
- Certainly we are the most intelligent beings alive, but whether we should exalt ourselves as "extremely intelligent" is another matter. Perhaps we should wait until we meet a range of extra-terrestrial beings.
Another Opinion
Yes, man was intelligent from the very start and the idea of early man being lower in intelligence is not supported by evidence. Illustrations showing progression are theories, not factual. It is likely that humans were more intelligent due to the lack of genetic degeneration.
Religious tradition is that the earliest people were veryintelligent.
Why does free competition and natural selection seem wrong in our present social system?
By the way, this article is not talking about animal breeding issues or human breeding issues, which is not my concern, not this moment. It is about how nature uses its laws to decide intelligent living thing's existence and how human can adapt.
It is not the natural law --- "free competition natural selection" is wrong but the specific meaning of it at the present social system development level is not applicable to the changed system, though its general meaning still apply. The usual meaning we use is the specific meaning of it --- competition in a process. That determines who win and who lose in a process. But the general meaning of "free competition, natural selection" includes system selection that determine processes connections and final survival.
Natural selection has different forms and different selection levels, higher level selection always are more important and more decisive than the lower level ones. The natural selection we usually talk about is the process selection. It is a lower level selection on strategic and tactic level. This is the specific meaning of natural selection; it is widely used in game theory, social biological and social behavioural studies. But the general meaning of natural selection include all forms and all levels of selection including system selection which is a higher level selection which can override process selection and be the decisive selection that decides final survival.
Use value has power and it only can be converted from real value --- natural value which is natural resources. Under natural process over use resources make more power and power is the hard force that always prevails. Competition pressure and natural process will always tend to cause more over use of resources but at this moment of social development, natural mechanisms on this process level cannot function to check human activities and resources are facing exhaustion and environment loading capacity are facing limit. So the natural development of this process is human life chain cut early --- extinction (natural mechanisms only on this process level can check human destruction). This is an example of winning a competition in a process does not mean "win" in a general meaning --- they extinct. The only way to achieve the general meaning of "win" is use rationality to overcome the process disadvantage of instability to win natural selection in system level --- recognise and obey natural law to use rational thinking directed rational efforts to establish rational social system and carry out rational process in it to connect human with higher level of evolution process and continue to survive.
Here, the fittest is the rational beings and nature does select them.
When social system evolved to high level and the structure and function become highly manmade, we have to overcome process selection pressure to win natural selection on system selection level to connect our present evolution process to a higher level of evolution process and continue to survive into far future.
So, though the specific meaning of free competition and natural selection is conditional in our present social system but the general meaning of it is absolute --- it is an absolute law of the nature and can be applied universally and unconditionally.
For instances: though the natural tendency driven natural process (such as self-interested opportunists'' short-sighted behaviour) will always have the advantage of natural process favoured thermodynamic stability and behavioural strategy stability, but when social system naturally developed into a critical point that the system no longer can continue under natural process, those process favoured self-interested opportunists if still stick to their old way of unlimited exploiting the nature, they will be selected out by natural selection that select out the old natural social system with its natural process. Nature selects the rational social system on system selection level that overrides process selection. That is why the endless and unlimited exploitation of natural resources will only win those smart self-interested opportunists a short while of easy life by whether choose cooperative strong development or competitive strong growth, they will all be gone with that social system --- they bring that system down along with themselves and the process that favour their behaviour. As a human being, it is actually themselves that selected themselves out of existence but not really nature's doing.
A rationalist doesn't mean selfless, he just smarter --- he can rationalise his short term interest so that to get the ultimate interest --- perpetual existence.
How does natural selection affect life today?
Yes. But it probably is very slight. What we as humans have now to work with have allowed us to do the things we have done: moon landing, etc. Some people will be able to do more and so will carry us further. Natural selection occurs over very long spans of time.
There are some minor recent changes that result from natural selection on human populations that affect many of us. For instance, humans were not naturally lactose tolerant during adulthood until the keeping of domesticated animals became a widespread occupation in Eurasia, some 10.000 years ago. The trait of lactose tolerance in adults is still spreading from those first Eurasian roots. Reversely, there are some changes in human populations that may result from the *lack* of selection. Since humans change their environments to suit them, we may be able to witness degradations in the efficiency of our metabolisms, immune systems, and senses, as detrimental mutations are able to spread throughout the population. This is unlikely to result in very serious biological problems for the species, but may affect the demographies of human populations, the annual expenditure on medical care, and so on.
Who was the English scientist who proposed the theory known as natural selection?
Charles Darwin's theory of evolution included the natural selection as a means that determined which species would survive and which did not. It remains an open question in the present time.
Do Darwin's theories of evolution by natural selection contradict the principles of bio geography?
he's bent
What is natural selection like?
Natural selection is the nonrandom survival and reproductive success of randomly varying organisms selected against the immediate environment.
Like that. Remember this little explanation and you have natural selection down pat
Why was the theory of natural selection criticised?
Natural selection would also destroy the species because sometimes it also leads to some harmful effects of the species.
E.g : if in a population of red beetles a green beetle arises,the green beetle would multiply in number as they are not identified by the crows as the colour of the bushes in which the beetles live and the colour of the beetle would be same.whereas the red beetles would be eaten by the crows and so the beetles population would reduce.
How has the beaver evolved because of natural selection?
Beavers have evolved adaptations such as webbed hind feet for swimming, a broad flat tail for dam-building and communication, and large teeth for chewing wood. These traits have been favored by natural selection as they provide the beaver with advantages for survival and reproduction in their aquatic habitat.
Why is Darwinism so important to the science community?
To say that it is important to the science community as a whole is perhaps somewhat of an overstatement. It is, however, a field of knowledge which has many applications in many branches of science. More importantly, it had a profound impact on the historical development of the modern sciences, as it was one of the first attempts to model natural phenomena in an entirely naturalistic manner, paving the way for other natural philosophers to use similar methodologies to formulate tractable scientific models.
How natural selection result in adaptation in a species?
This may result in an adaptation due to their being either a positive or negative mutation within the species. i.e a fish is born with night-vision on a random occasion; this fish has a better chance of breeding with another and eventually affects the entire species. The fish move to larger bodies of water where they can hunt safely at night rather than in daylight. This can result in an entirely new night vision bred fish, where they will most certainly push other species out of the metaphorical fish pond.
Why would natural selection not occur in this poplutation?
What population?
Perhaps you mean if there were no variation for natural selection to select from.
How natural selection allows beetles that are camouflaged to flourish in their environment?
i dont know
Which was the relation between the Nazi idea of a super race and Darwinism?
The idea of the superior human being came through the philosophy of Nietzche who talked of the 'ubermensch' , a superman who would be a superior being, although some believe the Nazi party mis-used his philosophy. Darwinism was another philosophy with which Hitler sought to conform and improve the so-called 'aryan race' who were in their eyes superior to say, the black or Jewish races. This was through the theory of Eugenics, (also accepted in the US and other places at this time), the Nazis sought to improve the genetic stock of their nation which is one reason they sought to get rid of all, not just Jews, who they deemed inferior.
They saw themselves specifically as the agents of evolution and so pursued this policy both negatively in the holocaust and positively (in their eyes) through human breeding programs, for which they established special centers.
Although some would argue that Darwinism itself does not require this to occur, it certainly was seen by the Nazi party as one role they had for the good of the nation and in the longer term, for the world. Thus even though such an outcome could not have been forseen by Darwin himself, who may well have been horrified, it is certainly one possible outcome of 'survival of the fittest' and 'nature red in tooth and claw.' Coupled with the diminution of any idea that this could be morally wrong, due to the explicit rejection of the high moral standards of the Bible, and the scene was ripe for this to occur. Those true Christians who opposed the Nazis were persecuted and imprisoned and many were executed, as feelings of compassion inherent in Christianity were seen as being weak, and therefore bad for the nation - not to mention the fact that there was a slight tendency for a lack of tolerance of dissent.
= Hitler believed in Arthur de Gobineau's ideas of struggle for survival between the different races, among which the "Aryan race" guided by "Providence" - was supposed to be the torchbearers of civilization. In Hitler's conception Jews were enemies of all civilization.
How has natural selection shaped koala bears?
natural secetion has shaped the koala through its distinct features. features such as their hands and feet. they are designed to assist their tree dwelling life, their hands have a large gap between the first and second finger and their big toe is set at a wide angle to the foot. This gives the Koala secondary grip on branches. Koalas sit in the folk of trees all day using their thick padded toes. This adaptation is more behavioral. koalas also have a distinct organ The Koala's digestive system is especially adapted to detoxify the poisonous chemicals in the leaves of the eucalypt. To cope with such a diet , nature has equipped koalas with specialised adaptations. Koalas have a very slow metabolic rate, this allows the koala to retain food within their digestive system for a long period of time. This slow metabolic rate minimises the Koalas energy requirements. The koala has a special fiber-digesting organ called a caecum. Other animals such as humans also have a caecum but the Koala is very long about 200cm long. The caecum contains millions of bacteria which breaks down fiber into substances which are easier to absorb. Water is also absorbed from the gum leaves so that koalas rarely need to drink.
What is Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection?
The theory states that there is inheritable variation among offspring, and that as environments change some variations will enjoy an advantage over others. In other words, there will be preferential survival of beneficial inheritable traits, which will ultimately be reflected in the general population. This constitutes evolution.
Who discovered Natural Selection?
Edward Blyth, a creationist.
Charles Darwin "re-discovered" it and made bizarre assumptions and speculations for his unscientific theory.
Answer:
"Natural Selection" is a process in nature that leads to the evolution of animals to better fit heir environment. As a consequence it could not be discovered - it just was.
However the process was postulated and described by many scientists and thinkers over the years:
- In ancient Greece Empedocles, Lucretius and Aristotle described it.
- In Arabia Al-Jahiz, Abu Rayhan, Biruni Nasir al-Din Tusi[and Ibn Khaldun observed artificial selection and felt that nature works in much the same way.
- In the 18th century Pierre Louis Maupertuis and Charles Darwin's grandfather Erasmus Darwin observed the same things.
- In 1859, Charles Darwin set out his landmark theory of evolution by natural selection as an explanation for adaptation and speciation based on his observations during his voyage on the Beagle.
A great example would be Antibiotics and Bacteria. When humans create an antibiotic, it wipes out a lot of the bacteria in your body. The ones that that don't get affected by it probably have a resistance to the antibiotic. As those bacteria multiply and grow, the others die out due to the antibioitic. Soon the anti-biotic resistant bacteria will take over the human body, and the humans would have to find another antibiotic to counter the new bacteria. The cycle goes on and on......
