Evolution

Need to know

What you need to know

• **Variation:** Individuals within a population show genetic variation (due to mutation, meiosis, random fertilisation).
• **Selection Pressure:** The environment exerts pressure (e.g., predation, disease, resource availability).
• **Differential Survival:** Individuals with advantageous phenotypes are better suited to survive and outcompete others.
• **Differential Reproduction:** These survivors are more likely to reproduce, passing on their advantageous alleles.
• **Inheritance:** Over generations, the frequency of these advantageous alleles increases in the population, leading to adaptation.

Explanation

Evolution

1. **Variation:** Individuals within a population show genetic variation (due to mutation, meiosis, random fertilisation).
2. **Selection Pressure:** The environment exerts pressure (e.g., predation, disease, resource availability).
3. **Differential Survival:** Individuals with advantageous phenotypes are better suited to survive and outcompete others.
4. **Differential Reproduction:** These survivors are more likely to reproduce, passing on their advantageous alleles.