Mechanisms of Evolution

 A lion gets chased off from his pride, then joins another pride. He mates with a lioness and make 6 lion cubs.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

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 A hurricane wipes out half the population of blue jays in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

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Ten years ago, in a small population of ducks, two sizes of eyes were observed, large and small. Three ducks have large eyes and 7 have small.  2 of the large-eyed ducks are randomly hit by cars and killed. Today, no large-eyed ducks are present in the population.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

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 UV radiation causes a change in the DNA bases of a person’s gametes. The person goes on to have several children.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

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There is a population of squirrels who have bushy or hairless tails. Five new squirrels enter the area and have wavy haired tails. 

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

Red parrots are brought on an expedition to a remote section of jungle with only blue parrots, introducing color variation into the gene pool of jungle parrots.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

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A wildflower population consisting of blue, purple, and pink flowers is subjected to a mudslide that kills most of the blue ones. As time progresses, blue flowers eventually die out, leaving only purple and pink wildflowers.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift 
• Gene Flow

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 Due to random successions of births, a town has an unusually high population of people with strawberry blonde hair, a trait that increases over time and leaves very few people with different hair colors.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

There are some types of apples that are half red and half golden-colored. This is caused by a change in the DNA of the somatic cells of the apple.

• Natural Selection
• Mutation
• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow

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During meiosis (sperm formation), a developing male chicken had a change in his DNA that resulted in his coat becoming spotted.

• Genetic Drift
• Non-random mating
• Mutation
• Natural Selection

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