Short Essay: Natural Selection Vs. Evolution
Short Essay #1
The ancestor of all life lived approximately 3.5 billion years ago. Needless to say, since then, many species that once existed in the past are no longer around today. A species can become extinct for a variety of reasons such as climate change, natural catastrophe, or depravation of resources. The species that is better adapted for these changes will survive and those who are not will at some point no longer exist. This process is referred to as natural selection. Due to natural selection, we have evolution as a result. Evolution is the process by which previous organisms affect the development of future organisms. Natural selection is often referred to as survival of the fittest because those with the most desirable traits will outlast …show more content…
Sometimes when living organisms reproduce, mutations can occur in the DNA of their offspring which results in different traits(variation). If the mutation is beneficial to the organism’s survival based on its environment, then it will continue to be passed on to future generations, and if not, it will become rare and possibly extinct. Nature can be extremely unpredictable and unstable so it’s all a matter of who is equipped with traits that allow for adaptation and versatility.
Picture two identical species of dragons, except one has the ability to breathe fire and the other possesses the gift of flight. Both traits are arguably, extremely advantageous in their own way. However, if their diets consist of only small animals who live in tall trees. Eventually the fire breathing dragons would die out. Even though the fire breathing dragons are better suited against predators, they are not well adapted to the environment compared to the flying dragons which will be able to continue to reproduce and pass on their
The ancestor of all life lived approximately 3.5 billion years ago. Needless to say, since then, many species that once existed in the past are no longer around today. A species can become extinct for a variety of reasons such as climate change, natural catastrophe, or depravation of resources. The species that is better adapted for these changes will survive and those who are not will at some point no longer exist. This process is referred to as natural selection. Due to natural selection, we have evolution as a result. Evolution is the process by which previous organisms affect the development of future organisms. Natural selection is often referred to as survival of the fittest because those with the most desirable traits will outlast …show more content…
Sometimes when living organisms reproduce, mutations can occur in the DNA of their offspring which results in different traits(variation). If the mutation is beneficial to the organism’s survival based on its environment, then it will continue to be passed on to future generations, and if not, it will become rare and possibly extinct. Nature can be extremely unpredictable and unstable so it’s all a matter of who is equipped with traits that allow for adaptation and versatility.
Picture two identical species of dragons, except one has the ability to breathe fire and the other possesses the gift of flight. Both traits are arguably, extremely advantageous in their own way. However, if their diets consist of only small animals who live in tall trees. Eventually the fire breathing dragons would die out. Even though the fire breathing dragons are better suited against predators, they are not well adapted to the environment compared to the flying dragons which will be able to continue to reproduce and pass on their