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Difference Between Natural Selection And Genotypes

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Difference Between Natural Selection And Genotypes
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Does Natural Selection Operate on Genotype or Phenotype?
Education
by Demand Media by Andrea Becker A dog's genes may code for four legs, but if his phenotype is three legs because of an accident, his survival in the wild is nevertheless hampered.
A dog's genes may code for four legs, but if his phenotype is three legs because of an accident, his survival in the wild is nevertheless hampered.
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Examples of Genetic Characteristics
What Genotype Is Used to Describe a Carrier?
What Is the Difference Between …show more content…
It is the theory used to describe the pressure that results in changes in the frequency of alleles, or versions of a gene, over generations. Evolution is measured by changes in the genome, but natural selection does not act directly on the genome. Your genes do not change over the course of your lifetime, but natural selection can influence how well you do in evolutionary terms.
Genotype vs. Phenotype
Genotype is the set of genes that an individual possesses. The genes code for traits expressed by the individual. The collection of traits the individual expresses is called the phenotype. An individual’s phenotype is controlled in large part by the genotype, but the environment plays a role as well. A wolf may have a genotype that calls for a long coat of fur, but if she gets infested with ticks and rubs her fur off, the phenotype will be an individual with bare spots.
The Process of Natural …show more content…
Natural selection operates on phenotype. Unequal mortality or reduced reproductive success across populations are associated with variation in phenotypes. It is the animal with the longer legs that will be faster and better able to run away from predators. It is the male with the brighter plumage that will be more attractive to females looking for a mate.
Natural Selection as the Mechanism of Evolution
Natural selection acts on the phenotype, but evolution is a change in the frequency of alleles in a population over time, a change in genotype. Two of the basic assumptions of natural selection are that variation in a trait is possible, and that a given expression of a trait is able to be inherited. Phenotypes are a combination of genes and environmental influences. If the variation in the population is due to environmental influences alone, any advantage won’t be passed on to the next generation. So natural selection acts on phenotype, but it is the connection to genotype that makes it the mechanism of evolution.
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