Question

darwin & natural selection

1. some adaptations are helpful in one environment, but would be harmful in other environments. complete the table below with 5 more adaptations.

adaptation	helpful environment	harmful environment
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1. explain why sexual reproduction allows a species to evolve more quickly.

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1. explain why a characteristic that helps an animal to live longer will generally tend to become more common in the population as a result of evolution by natural selection.

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Explanation:

1. Adaptations table:

• Webbed feet: Helpful in aquatic environments for swimming, but harmful on rough, rocky - terrain as they can be easily injured.
• Long neck (like a giraffe): Helpful in savanna environments to reach high - hanging leaves, but harmful in dense forests where it can get caught on branches.
• Camouflage coloration (e.g., chameleon): Helpful in environments with diverse and changing backgrounds for hiding from predators and catching prey, but harmful in environments with a uniform color where it stands out.
• Large ears (like a fennec fox): Helpful in hot desert environments to dissipate heat, but harmful in cold environments as they can lead to heat loss.
• Poisonous glands (e.g., poison dart frog): Helpful in rainforest environments to deter predators, but harmful if the predator has developed immunity or in an environment where there are no natural predators that can be deterred.

1. Sexual reproduction and evolution: Sexual reproduction allows for genetic recombination. Offspring inherit a combination of genes from both parents, increasing genetic variation within a population. This increased variation provides more raw material for natural selection to act upon, enabling the species to adapt more quickly to changing environmental conditions.
2. Characteristics and natural selection: A characteristic that helps an animal live longer increases its chances of survival and reproduction. Since it has more time to reproduce, it is more likely to pass on its genes to the next generation. Over time, through the process of natural selection, these beneficial genes become more common in the population.

Answer:

Adaptation	Helpful environment	Harmful Environment
Long neck	Savanna	Dense forests
Camouflage coloration	Environments with diverse backgrounds	Environments with uniform color
Large ears	Hot desert environments	Cold environments
Poisonous glands	Rainforest	Environments with immune predators

1. Sexual reproduction allows for genetic recombination, increasing genetic variation which provides more raw material for natural selection, enabling faster adaptation.
2. A characteristic that helps an animal live longer increases its survival and reproduction chances, so it is more likely to pass on its genes, making the characteristic more common in the population over time through natural selection.