Evolution occurs through natural selection via survival of the fittest. This means that those organisms that are most well adapted to the environment will survive and pass on their genes.
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A requirement for evolutionary changes to occur through natural selection is the presence of genetic variation within a population. This variation can lead to differences in traits that affect an organism's ability to survive and reproduce. Over time, individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to pass on their genes, causing those traits to become more common in the population.
Natural selection is the evolutionary process primarily responsible for the evolution of species. It involves the differential survival and reproduction of individuals with favorable traits that help them adapt to their environment, leading to changes in the genetic makeup of populations over time.
Other evolutionary mechanisms besides natural selection include genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, and sexual selection. Genetic drift is the random change in allele frequencies in a population. Gene flow refers to the transfer of genes between populations. Mutation introduces new genetic variation, and sexual selection drives evolutionary change through mate choice and competition for mates.
An evolutionary path refers to the series of changes and adaptations that an organism undergoes over time as it evolves to better suit its environment. This includes genetic mutations and natural selection that drive the development of new traits and species.
The five evolutionary forces are natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and non-random mating. These forces can lead to changes in allele frequencies in a population over time, resulting in evolution.
"Natural selection" is another term often used to describe the concept of survival of the fittest in evolutionary theory.