1.3.16

Natural Selection

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Natural Selection

Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection proposed that all species have evolved from simple life forms that first appeared on Earth more than three billion years ago. The process is:

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Genetic variation

  • Different individual animals in a population (or species) have different combinations of genes (show genetic variation).
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Survival of the fittest

  • Individuals that are best adapted to the environment will have a greater chance of survival.
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Successful breeding

  • Individuals with the best chances of survival are the most likely to breed successfully (because they survive).
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Best characteristics survive

  • The characteristics responsible for the greater chance of survival are more likely to be passed on to the next generation.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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