Blog entry by Kristian Acuna
What is Free Evolution?
Free evolution is the idea that natural processes can cause organisms to evolve over time. This includes the evolution of new species and alteration of the appearance of existing species.
A variety of examples have been provided of this, including different varieties of fish called sticklebacks that can be found in salt or fresh water, and walking stick insect varieties that prefer particular host plants. These are mostly reversible traits, however, cannot explain fundamental changes in basic body plans.
Evolution by Natural Selection
The development of the myriad of living creatures on Earth is a mystery that has intrigued scientists for decades. The most well-known explanation is that of Charles Darwin's natural selection process, a process that occurs when better-adapted individuals survive and reproduce more effectively than those that are less well adapted. Over time, the population of individuals who are well-adapted grows and eventually forms a new species.
Natural selection is a process that is cyclical and involves the interaction of three factors that are: reproduction, variation and inheritance. Mutation and sexual reproduction increase the genetic diversity of a species. Inheritance is the term used to describe the transmission of a person's genetic traits, which include recessive and dominant genes, to their offspring. Reproduction is the production of fertile, viable offspring, which includes both sexual and asexual methods.
All of these variables must be in balance for natural selection to occur. For example when a dominant allele at a gene allows an organism to live and reproduce more frequently than the recessive allele, the dominant allele will be more prevalent within the population. If the allele confers a negative advantage to survival or 에볼루션게이밍 decreases the fertility of the population, it will disappear. The process is self-reinforcing, which means that an organism that has an adaptive characteristic will live and reproduce far more effectively than those with a maladaptive feature. The more offspring an organism produces the more fit it is that is determined by its capacity to reproduce and survive. People with good traits, like the long neck of giraffes, or bright white color patterns on male peacocks, are more likely than others to reproduce and survive which eventually leads to them becoming the majority.
Natural selection only affects populations, not individuals. This is a significant distinction from the Lamarckian theory of evolution which argues that animals acquire traits by use or inactivity. For instance, if the giraffe's neck gets longer through stretching to reach for prey, its offspring will inherit a more long neck. The difference in neck size between generations will continue to increase until the giraffe is no longer able to reproduce with other giraffes.
Evolution through Genetic Drift
Genetic drift occurs when the alleles of the same gene are randomly distributed in a group. Eventually, only one will be fixed (become common enough that it can no more be eliminated through natural selection) and the other alleles drop in frequency. In the extreme this, it leads to one allele dominance. Other alleles have been basically eliminated and heterozygosity has diminished to a minimum. In a small population this could result in the complete elimination of recessive alleles. This is known as the bottleneck effect. It is typical of an evolutionary process that occurs when the number of individuals migrate to form a population.
A phenotypic bottleneck can also occur when the survivors of a disaster like an outbreak or mass hunt event are confined to the same area. The surviving individuals will be mostly homozygous for the dominant allele, which means they will all have the same phenotype and thus have the same fitness traits. This could be caused by a war, earthquake, or even a plague. Regardless of the cause the genetically distinct group that remains could be prone to genetic drift.
Walsh Lewens, Lewens, and Ariew employ a "purely outcome-oriented" definition of drift as any departure from expected values for different fitness levels. They provide the famous case of twins who are genetically identical and share the same phenotype. However, one is struck by lightning and dies, while the other is able to reproduce.
This kind of drift can be vital to the evolution of a species. It's not the only method of evolution. The primary alternative is to use a process known as natural selection, where the phenotypic diversity of the population is maintained through mutation and 무료에볼루션 migration.
Stephens claims that there is a big difference between treating the phenomenon of drift as a force or as a cause and 에볼루션 무료 바카라 considering other causes of evolution such as mutation, selection, and migration as forces or causes. Stephens claims that a causal mechanism account of drift permits us to differentiate it from these other forces, 에볼루션 바카라사이트 and that this distinction is crucial. He also claims that drift has a direction, that is, it tends to eliminate heterozygosity, 에볼루션 바카라 무료 and that it also has a size, that is determined by the size of the population.
Evolution by Lamarckism
When students in high school study biology, they are often introduced to the work of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744 - 1829). His theory of evolution is commonly referred to as "Lamarckism" and it states that simple organisms grow into more complex organisms through the inheritance of characteristics that result from the natural activities of an organism use and misuse. Lamarckism can be illustrated by a giraffe extending its neck to reach higher levels of leaves in the trees. This could cause the longer necks of giraffes to be passed on to their offspring who would then grow even taller.
Lamarck Lamarck, a French zoologist, presented an innovative idea in his opening lecture at the Museum of Natural History of Paris. He challenged the conventional wisdom on organic transformation. According to Lamarck, living things evolved from inanimate matter through a series gradual steps. Lamarck was not the first to suggest that this could be the case, but the general consensus is that he was the one being the one who gave the subject its first general and comprehensive treatment.
The dominant story is that Charles Darwin's theory on natural selection and Lamarckism were rivals in the 19th century. Darwinism eventually prevailed and led to the development of what biologists now call the Modern Synthesis. The theory denies that acquired characteristics can be passed down and instead argues that organisms evolve through the selective influence of environmental factors, such as Natural Selection.
Lamarck and his contemporaries supported the notion that acquired characters could be passed down to future generations. However, this concept was never a key element of any of their theories about evolution. This is partly due to the fact that it was never validated scientifically.
It's been more than 200 years since Lamarck was born and, in the age of genomics there is a vast amount of evidence that supports the heritability of acquired traits. It is sometimes called "neo-Lamarckism" or more frequently, 에볼루션게이밍 epigenetic inheritance. It is a version of evolution that is just as relevant as the more popular Neo-Darwinian model.
Evolution through adaptation
One of the most commonly-held misconceptions about evolution is its being driven by a struggle to survive. This view is inaccurate and ignores other forces driving evolution. The fight for survival can be more accurately described as a struggle to survive within a specific environment, which can include not just other organisms but also the physical environment itself.
To understand how evolution operates it is beneficial to consider what adaptation is. The term "adaptation" refers to any characteristic that allows a living thing to live in its environment and reproduce. It can be a physical structure, such as feathers or fur. Or it can be a trait of behavior that allows you to move to the shade during hot weather, or moving out to avoid the cold at night.
The ability of an organism to draw energy from its surroundings and interact with other organisms as well as their physical environment, is crucial to its survival. The organism must have the right genes to produce offspring and be able find enough food and 에볼루션게이밍 resources. The organism should also be able to reproduce at the rate that is suitable for its niche.
These factors, along with mutation and gene flow can result in an alteration in the percentage of alleles (different types of a gene) in the population's gene pool. This change in allele frequency can result in the emergence of new traits, and eventually new species as time passes.
A lot of the traits we find appealing in plants and animals are adaptations. For example lung or gills that draw oxygen from air feathers and fur for insulation long legs to run away from predators and camouflage for hiding. To understand the concept of adaptation it is essential to distinguish between behavioral and physiological characteristics.
Physiological traits like thick fur and gills are physical characteristics. Behavior adaptations aren't like the tendency of animals to seek out companionship or move into the shade in hot temperatures. It is important to remember that a the absence of planning doesn't result in an adaptation. In fact, failing to consider the consequences of a behavior can make it unadaptable, despite the fact that it might appear logical or even necessary.