Evolution is the process by which organisms undergo various changes over time. The change occurs in the physical and behavioral aspects of the organism. There are fundamental processes or concepts in the process of evolution. This paper discusses these concepts in details.
Species, Population and Variation
Species refers to a group of individuals, which naturally interbreed to give rise to offspring. Organisms, which belong to the same species, are referred to as a population. Members of a particular population can have different biological compositions or genetics. This mechanism is referred to as variation and is mostly caused by genetic drift.
The Four Forces of Evolution
The evolution process comprises of four main forces. These include; natural selection, mutation, gene flow and gene drift. Mutation refers to the changes that occur in the DNA of an organism. These changes result from an accumulation of mutations and usually alter the look and behavior of an organism. Changes, which occur in the DNA, may sometimes not favor an organism. In such a case, the organism faces the risk of being eliminated by those with a better DNA. This gives more insight into natural selection whereby organisms, which are better adapted to the environment, survive and transfer their genes to the next generation while those who do not adapt are naturally eliminated. The organisms, which are able to adapt naturally, can interbreed with members of the same species in a different population. In so doing, genes are transferred from one population to another, a process is known as a gene flow. Members of any given population reproduce differently and at different rates. Some members may leave more genes than the others may; making their genes dominant in the generation that follows. This process is referred to as a gene drift.
Isolation and Speciation
Conclusion
The processes discussed above are contributive forces towards evolution. They complement each other in many ways, and the absence of a single process from the evolutionary process can have adverse effects on evolution.
Reference
Haviland, W., Prins, H., Walrath, D., & McBride, B. (2012). The essence of anthropology. Cengage Learning.
