Question

(a) Give a brief overview of the theory of evolution, and explain why it is the principle of unifying concept in biology. The length of the overview should be less than 500 words. (b) Apply the theory of natural selection to any given adaptation, and suggest a logical explanation of how the adaptation may have evolved.

Answer 1

Ans .(a) The theory of evolution by natural selection given by Charles Darwin states that , Evolution is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits.

Darwin proposed that individuals with traits most suitable to their environments lived long enough to reproduce and passed down those desirable traits to their offspring.

Evolution is the great unifying principle of Biology, we need it to understand the distinctive properties of organisms, their adaptations ; as well as the relationships of greater or lesser proximity that exist between different species.

Evolution by natural selection, is the theory that maintains that a population's inherited traits change overtime, and that all known organisms have a common origin.

Ans .(b) Skeletal adaptations :- Girrafes, lizards, and many other known species adapted to their environments through genetic changes to their skeletons. This form of natural selection meant that members of the population who didn't develop and present these skeletal changes died out. For example, girrafes developed long necks to reach food sources higher up in trees, so members of the girrafe population who didn't develop a long neck died out.