All four ways that evolution works—natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, and mutation—play important roles in how living things change over time.
Natural Selection: This is when certain traits help living things survive and have babies. Studies show that during big extinction events, about 90% of species can disappear. This shows how important natural changes are for keeping biodiversity alive.
Genetic Drift: This is a random process that can change the traits in a small group of living things. For example, if a population goes through a bottleneck, it might lose more than 50% of its genetic variety. This can change how evolution works for that group.
Gene Flow: This happens when genes move between different groups. It can bring in new traits and mix things up, helping to keep a variety of genes. For lonely or separate groups, gene flow can boost their genetic differences by up to 10%.
Mutation: Mutations are the main way new traits come into being. Most mutations don’t change much, but some can give advantages, spreading quickly through natural selection.
These four mechanisms work together to keep biodiversity strong. They help living things adapt to changing environments, which is really important for the health of ecosystems.
All four ways that evolution works—natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, and mutation—play important roles in how living things change over time.
Natural Selection: This is when certain traits help living things survive and have babies. Studies show that during big extinction events, about 90% of species can disappear. This shows how important natural changes are for keeping biodiversity alive.
Genetic Drift: This is a random process that can change the traits in a small group of living things. For example, if a population goes through a bottleneck, it might lose more than 50% of its genetic variety. This can change how evolution works for that group.
Gene Flow: This happens when genes move between different groups. It can bring in new traits and mix things up, helping to keep a variety of genes. For lonely or separate groups, gene flow can boost their genetic differences by up to 10%.
Mutation: Mutations are the main way new traits come into being. Most mutations don’t change much, but some can give advantages, spreading quickly through natural selection.
These four mechanisms work together to keep biodiversity strong. They help living things adapt to changing environments, which is really important for the health of ecosystems.