Evolution and Natural Selection

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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. It is a key mechanism of evolution.

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What is Genetic Drift?

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Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in the frequency of alleles in a population, which can lead to significant changes over time, especially in small populations.

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What is Gene Flow?

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Gene flow is the transfer of genetic material between populations, which can increase genetic diversity and reduce differences between populations.

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What are Mutations?

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Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence of an organism's genome, which can lead to new traits and contribute to genetic diversity.

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What is Stabilizing Selection?

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Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors average individuals in a population, reducing variation and maintaining the status quo.

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What is Directional Selection?

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Directional selection is a type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over the other, leading to a shift in the population's traits.

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What is Disruptive Selection?

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Disruptive selection is a type of natural selection that favors extreme phenotypes at both ends of the spectrum, potentially leading to speciation.

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What are Analogous Structures?

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Analogous structures are body parts in different species that have similar functions but evolved independently, indicating convergent evolution.

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What are Homologous Structures?

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Homologous structures are body parts in different species that share a common ancestry but may have different functions, indicating divergent evolution.

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What are Vestigial Structures?

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Vestigial structures are body parts that have lost their original function through evolution, such as the human appendix.