It seems logical that natural selection would work toward genetic uniformity; the genotypes that are most fit produce the most offspring, increasing the frequency of adaptive alleles and eliminating less adaptive alleles. Yet there remains a great deal of genetic variation within populations. Describe factors that contribute to this variation.
Added by Heidi C.
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**Mutation**: Mutations are random changes in an organism's DNA sequence, which can introduce new genetic variation into a population. Some mutations may be beneficial, while others may be harmful or neutral. Over time, mutations can accumulate and contribute to Show more…
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Adi S.
Natural selection is the idea that…a. the fittest organisms will surviveb. individual organisms that are best suited to their environment will leave most offspring and their genes will spread through the population in future generationsc. gene frequencies change through timed. species change through timee. traits that are best suited to the environment will be favoured in individuals
James K.
Just because possessing certain heritable traits would increase the fitness of an individual does not guarantee that this trait will evolve. This is because: Select one: natural selection can only act on pre-existing variation in individuals; Only populations undergo natural selection; Unpredictable natural selection only favors traits that benefit the species, not the individual; Genetic selection pressures.
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