Hi Minseong, do you mind explaining the stages of natural selection? Starting from the mutation causing variation, overproduction, then survival of the fittest, leading to evolution (according to the lily question on B8?). Thank you:>
- Rose
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Thank you:>
Hi Rose, thank you for your question. Also, thank you for taking your time to answer Rose's question, Emma.
Emma summarised natural selection very well, and those are the main stages of natural selection, so I think her comment answers your question. I'll just add a few additional ideas in this comment.
Firstly, there is a mnemonic device to easily memorise the stages of natural selection that I learnt in class. (VACONSIE)
Variation
Adaptation
Competition
Overproduction
Natural
selection
Inheritance
Evolution
Also, adding on to Emma's comment, random mutation (which causes variation) may happen due to numerous reasons, such as ionising radiation, chemical agents and even viruses. In addition, as you asked about "survival of the fittest", the competition and natural selection stages described above is about "survival of the fittest".
Does this answer your question?
I hope you don't mind if I answer this question. :) I'll try to simplify natural selection (referencing the lily question) by writing it in bullet points.
- Variation: Variation in an individual lily is caused by a random mutation, most likely during meiosis (or mitosis) --> when DNA is replicating itself.
- Adaptation: The mutation may actually be advantageous and considered an adaptation to the environment/helpful for the lily's survival. For example, brighter petals for pollinators to see or it could be more effective in absorbing CO2.
- Overproduction: A generation of lilies will overproduce offspring, meaning more than the environment can support.
- Competition: Due to overproduction, individual flowers are fighting to survive. They compete for resources such as sunlight exposure, nutrients, water, etc.
- Natural selection: Because the lily has an advantageous trait it is more likely to beat the competition and survive.
- Inheritance: If the individual can survive it has a better chance of reproducing, passing down the adaptation to its offspring - inheritance.
- Evolution: When the adaptation is inherited/passed down through enough generations, it will change the gene pool of the general population. Essentially, almost all lilies after a few generations will have the adaptation --> the species has evolved!
I hope this helped, let me know if you have any more questions/clarification.
- Emma