The Five Fingers of Evolution: A Comprehensive Explanation of the Key Drivers of Evolutionary Change

five fingers of evolution

small population, non-random mating, mutations, gene flow, natural selection

The “Five Fingers of Evolution” is a mnemonic device that serves as a simple explanation for the key drivers of evolutionary change. The five fingers of evolution are:

1. Mutation: This refers to changes in the DNA sequence of an organism, which can occur spontaneously or as a result of environmental factors such as radiation or chemicals.

2. Genetic Drift: This refers to random variations in the frequency of different alleles (versions of a gene) within a population, which can occur due to chance events such as natural disasters or the migration of individuals.

3. Gene Flow: This refers to the exchange of genes between different populations, which can occur through migration or interbreeding.

4. Natural Selection: This refers to the non-random survival and reproduction of individuals with traits that are better suited to their environment, which can lead to an increase in the frequency of these traits in the population over time.

5. Sexual Selection: This refers to the selection of traits that increase an individual’s mating success, which can result in the evolution of exaggerated or elaborate physical characteristics such as long feathers or bright colors in birds.

More Answers:

Understanding the Consequences and Mitigating the Effects of the Bottleneck Effect in Populations
The Founder Effect: Understanding the Impact of Limited Genetic Variation on Populations and its Practical Implications in Medicine
Understanding Genetic Drift: The Effect of Chance on Gene Frequency in Populations.

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