3/2/2023 0 Comments Origin of speciesOne of the best examples scientists have of natural selection, is the evolution of whales. By using Darwin's theory as a guide, and understanding how natural selection works, biologists determined that the transition of early whales from land to water occurred in a series of predictable steps. The colorful plumage of peacocks and the antlers of male deer are both examples of traits that evolved under this type of selection. havstad in " The Philosophy of Macroevolution (opens in new tab)." This long-term process is what turned dinosaurs into birds, amphibious mammals (such as an animal called Indohyus) into whales and a common ancestor of apes and humans into the people, chimps and gorillas we know today.ĭarwin also described a form of natural selection that depends on an organism's success at attracting a mate - a process known as sexual selection, according to Nature Education (opens in new tab). (Image credit: Leonello Calvetti/Getty Images) (opens in new tab)īut when given enough time and accumulated changes, natural selection can create entirely new species, a process known as "macroevolution," according to Derek Turner and Joyce C. But future research by geneticists provided the mechanism and additional evidence for evolution by natural selectionĪrchaeopteryx, shown here in this illustration, is considered the first bird-like dinosaur on record, dating to about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. He also did not know about genetic mutation, which is the source of natural variation. He did not know about genetics, the mechanism by which genes encode for certain traits and those traits are passed from one generation to the next. Through natural selection, Darwin suggested, genetically diverse species could arise from a common ancestor.ĭarwin did not know the mechanism by which traits were passed on, according to National Geographic. Over time, the traits that enable species to survive and reproduce will become more frequent in the population and the population will change, or evolve, according to BioMed Central (opens in new tab). Individuals with less adaptive traits will less frequently survive to pass them on.
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