Natural selection plays a big role in how species become different from each other. Here are some easy ways to understand it:
Adaptive Radiation: This is when one type of species quickly changes into many different forms. This helps each new form live better in different places. A good example of this is Darwin's finches. They started as one kind of bird but changed into 15 different types on the Galápagos Islands, with each bird eating a specific type of food.
Genetic Variability: Natural selection works on the differences in genes that already exist. It picks out traits that help animals survive better. If a group of animals has a trait that makes them fitter or healthier, those traits can become really common. For instance, in just a few generations, helpful traits can make up 90% of that group.
Reproductive Isolation: Different pressures in the environment can create barriers that keep species from mating with each other. This means that as some groups of the same species start to have different behaviors or live in different places, they might not mate anymore. An example of this is when animals develop different mating calls. Those differences can lead to the formation of new species.
Natural selection plays a big role in how species become different from each other. Here are some easy ways to understand it:
Adaptive Radiation: This is when one type of species quickly changes into many different forms. This helps each new form live better in different places. A good example of this is Darwin's finches. They started as one kind of bird but changed into 15 different types on the Galápagos Islands, with each bird eating a specific type of food.
Genetic Variability: Natural selection works on the differences in genes that already exist. It picks out traits that help animals survive better. If a group of animals has a trait that makes them fitter or healthier, those traits can become really common. For instance, in just a few generations, helpful traits can make up 90% of that group.
Reproductive Isolation: Different pressures in the environment can create barriers that keep species from mating with each other. This means that as some groups of the same species start to have different behaviors or live in different places, they might not mate anymore. An example of this is when animals develop different mating calls. Those differences can lead to the formation of new species.