Summary: The Evolution Of Natural Selection

But natural selection is not random Another confusing argument you may hear from a pro-evolutionist is the idea that evolution is in fact not random, and is not due to chance. They argue that evolution through natural selection is actually not chance at all. The reason being is that natural selection is in simple terms, survival of the fittest. It is logical.

Natural selection is the process in which heritable traits that make it more likely for organisms to survive and successfully reproduce become more common in a population over successive generations. Each of us individuals is specifically shaped and formed by our own genetic pattern. We inherit this pattern half from are mother and half from are father. The cause of this is the proximate cause that led it’s phenotype to ultimate causes. Much of we know today about evolution derives from the late great pioneer, Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin was an english naturalist that even from an early age was very interested in outdoor pursuits. Early in his prep career his father tried sending him to the University of Edinburg to pursue his medical

One thing about natural selection that many people do not understand that natural selection does not increase the odds of survival for a species, but for individuals in that species. This makes sense when someone considers humans. Humans live in many social cultures, where for instance, the odds of survival in a group can be improved by the selection of certain traits that does not improve an individual’s odds of survival. Coyne states, one never sees the type of adaptations that benefit the group to the detriment of an individual (p.122).

In what he called the ‘survival of the fittest’, Darwin suggested that through the process of natural selection animals with particular characteristics, as a result of possessing advantageous alleles, will survive. However, those with maladaptive genes cannot adapt to changes in environmental conditions, so will die or become extinct. Dowling (1994) stated that this process depends on three principles: species diversity, interaction and the spread of a species as a result of differential amplification. Sexual selection is another component of Darwin’s research, which explains the best strategies adopted for passing on genes to offspring. Moreover, there are problems with Darwin’s theory such as his attempts to generalise animal behaviour to the way in which humans interact in their environment. However, he has presented compelling evidence which is very scientific in its approach and methodology. Furthermore, contrary to Darwin’s evolutionary idea of survival of an individual, Dawkins (1976) suggested that the survival of the genes is more important.

After Charles Darwin published his book “On the origins of species” in 1859, evolution became a hot topic of discussion; the notion of the human race improving itself by selective breeding started to spread (Winfield, 2012). For years

Evolutionary biology has always interested me, specifically the mechanisms of natural selection and how species adapt to their environment. It started with my love for animals and nature when I was little. I spent my summers working with horses at a local corral, where I would ride around the surrounding wilderness areas. My favorite part about riding in the mountains was watching the change in plant and animal species as the elevation changed. It never ceased to amaze me how the alpine tree line was always so sudden. Humongous pine trees would give way to the short, shrubby plants of the alpine tundra so uniformly and noticeably. I have always wondered about the environmental conditions that cause species to distribute themselves in

Biological fitness is fundamental to the evolution of species. It is defined both by survival and reproductive success, determined by the contribution to the gene pool of the next generation. Accordingly, the individual that lives the longest and produces the most fertile offspring has the highest fitness. Fitness is hereditary, genetically based, and phenotypically expressed. Natural selection acts on the translation of phenotypic trait variation to maximize performance, to improve and protect the highest fitness state and allow it to go towards fixation. The modification in the genetic makeup of a population over time correlates with an increased average fitness. However, evolution is not linear. Every behavior, every feature

Human beings are still very much evolving. According to recent studies, genetic changes in women over the years have decreased the age at which they birthed their first child. In one study the age decreased as much as four years from age 26 down to age 22 (Allen 2011). Another concurrent study looked at women’s physical appearance in correlation with the number of children they had. The resulting data revealed that, “stout, slightly plump” women had more children. Researchers found that these characteristics are passed on from mothers to their offspring and so forth (Harrell 2009). Therefore, as these traits are passed from generation to generation, the population grows and these characteristics become more prominent in the population. All of these findings confirm that the evolution of human beings is still very much an ongoing process.

The author, Gregory Claeys’s central argument of this article is that the survival of the fittest was a natural concept and then was altered into a social concept.

In topic 1, the introduction to human uniqueness and social coercion theory, we are introduced to some of the common misinterpretation behind Charles’ Darwin’s theory of evolution, specifically in regards to natural selection and survival of the fittest. One of the biggest contributors to this issue is the lack of exposure to the general public on the overall theory behind these two processes. Instead of a full detailed explanation about natural selection and survival of the fittest, we are just told that it is slow and that to be fit means a level of superiority among competition, respectively. Topic 1 revealed that this is not true, as well as stating that natural selection is about individual risk, benefit and cost is of the utmost importance(Bingham). Based on this newly found insight from the course, how does individual risk, benefit, and cost play such an important role in natural selection even though selection is seen in a population and not a

"Investigate the inner workings of pluricellular evolution, cell shape and function, as well as how cells survive and multiply." This is an essential question to consider and elaborate on when trying to prove the topic of evolution. Evolution will be proven hereby by elaborating on the inner workings of the Endosymbiotic theory, Multicellular evolution and Natural selection, along with Cell specialization, replacement and Differentiation.

At the age of 11, my family and I visited The Museum of Natural History in New

There are many wonders in the world to how humanity is able to adapt and move on. The theory of evolution has astonished my philosophers over the years. In 1976, Scientist got some clarification of evolution after the release of Richard Dawkin’s book “The Selfish Gene.” The book describes that each species acts a certain way based on the genes it has. Many species have different genes that set them apart. By physical looks, intelligence, and the way it operates. The Selfish Gene explains some living organism have more genes then what they need to operate. Humans have “30-50 more genes than necessary to operate. Lungfish have been founded to harbor even more than that compared to humans. Evolutionary theorist such as George Williams, and Robert

Natural selection does not create organisms that are perfectly adapted to their environment for various reasons. One constraint is the fact that the environment is always changing. Disturbances in the environment are often caused by human influences and natural ecological processes that change what traits are beneficial to the organisms in order to survive in their particular surroundings. In the article, "Adaptation, Plasticity, and Extinction in a Changing Environment: Towards a Predictive Theory", it states that, “the unusual rate and extent of anthropogenic alterations of the environment may exceed the capacity of developmental, genetic, and demographic mechanisms that populations have evolved to deal with environmental change” (Chevin,

Abstract evolution has occurred in humans for millions of years; however, in a modern society many scientists and evolutionists are now debating whether or not it is still occurring, and if it follows the same rules. With all of the new technology humans have created, some experts believe that humans have essentially conquered nature, and no further evolutionary changes will occur. Still, others hold opposing views; some experts believe that evolution is still occurring, but modern societal advancements have changed the rules. These experts say that the changes in evolution are a result of recent medical advancements that allow doctors to perpetuate genes that would not have lasted years ago. Additionally, others maintain that evolution is