We are currently in lockdown, during this time we learnt a few more things about Natural Selection from home. The task was to answer some questions that were given to us on the teacher's website, including a video and a diagram to help us learn more about Natural Selection and other areas around that.
Our first activity was to read through this diagram and give us a simple example of what Natural Selection is, afterwards the task was to make our own scenario just like the one shown in the diagram. I have not drawn the diagram but I have written my scenario down to explain how it works in my own words.
Let's take a Caterpillar for example:
So we have multiple caterpillars on a single tree or a specified environment, the amounts of caterpillars on that single tree or within the environment have different variations and traits individually amongst them all, some have a green colour to them and some have a brown colour to them just like how it shows in the diagram above.
The environment can't be overpopulated with caterpillars otherwise it would limit the resources for other animals and insects living in the area. 2 variations of a caterpillar came out (green & brown), one variation is more likely to survive than the other depending on which habitat or/and the environment they are in. Meaning that one variation can adapt well with the environment and the others are at a disadvantage meaning less likely to survive making it hard for them to reproduce their own variation also meaning it can't pass down its genetics to its relatives. (Brown caterpillars are eaten by its predators more often resulting to making or reproducing less brown caterpillars, while on the other hand, the green caterpillars are eaten less which makes it easier for them to reproduce and pass down its genetics making more green caterpillars)
Myths of Evolution
Why wouldn't the giraffes grow longer necks just because the trees were tall?
Individual organisms don't evolve but random genetic mutations cause some giraffes to be born with longer necks, giving them the better chance at survival than the giraffes with shorter necks. This all sums up to saying how well-suited they are to their environment, meaning how well the creature (the giraffe in this case) adapts within its habitat.
What needs to happen in order for a gene to become more common?
Keep in mind that Natural Selection happens at the genetic level if the same gene that exists in one organism will also exist in its relatives which were mentioned before, this happens when it is passed down when reproducing. Random genetic mutations affecting the creatures organisms who carry it develop & behave differently from others with non-identical traits, resulting to make copies of the mutated gene being passed down(reproducing).
Ranit Well done this is a fantastic blog. You have truly grasped the ideas of Natural Selection and Evolution by giving detailed and accurate examples and explanations for each of these. I am very impressed by your explanation for the Giraffes Necks and Tall Tress. Tino Pai, I can see you have put a lot of effort into this. Do you think Humans have stopped evolving or are there are ways we can change our genetics these days?
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