Evolution and Natural Selection

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What is the principle of superposition in geology?

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In geology, the principle of superposition states that in any undisturbed sequence of rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the younger layers are at the top.

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What is evolution?

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Evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

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What is natural selection?

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Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

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Who proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection?

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Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection.

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What is a common misconception about human evolution?

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A common misconception is that humans evolved directly from monkeys; in reality, humans and monkeys share a common ancestor.

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What did Lamarck believe about acquired traits?

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Lamarck believed that traits acquired during an organism's lifetime could be passed on to its offspring.

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What is variation in the context of evolution?

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Variation refers to the differences in traits among individuals in a population, which can lead to natural selection.

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What is the significance of finch beaks in Darwin's studies?

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Darwin observed that finch beaks varied among species on the Galapagos Islands, which helped him develop his theory of evolution.

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What is punctuated equilibrium?

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Punctuated equilibrium is a theory in evolutionary biology that proposes that species experience long periods of stability interrupted by brief periods of rapid change.

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What is the role of mutations in evolution?

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Mutations are changes in DNA that can create new traits, providing raw material for natural selection.

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