4.6.2.2 Evolution

Question 1

What is evolution?

Answer 1

• change in the inherited characteristics of a population overtime through a process of natural selection
• may result in the formation of a new species

Question 2

What is the theory of evolution?

Answer 2

• all species have evolved from simple life forms that first developed more than 3 billion years ago

Question 3

How does evolution occur?

Answer 3

• natural selection

Question 4

How does natural selection result in evolution?

Answer 4

• mutations occur which provide variation
• if mutation provides survival advantage, it is more likely to survive to breeding age
• mutations will be passed onto offspring
• frequency of mutation will increase within the population over many generations

Question 5

What can evolution result in?

Answer 5

• speciation

Question 6

What is speciation?

Answer 6

• one population of a species becoming so different that they can no longer interbreed to produce fertile offspring
• means they have become new species