• Summary

This video explains how evolution is a process that happens to populations of species by which advantageous genetic traits are more likely to be passed onto offspring and thus more of the population will have it over time. Populations changing over time due to this is called evolution and natural selection is the term used to describe how nature “selects” the advantageous traits to be passed on. The video also talks about some misconceptions about what evolution is and how learned skills are not part of evolution because they are not genetic.

• Why you should watch this video?

Have you ever wondered what natural selection is or how it works?

Would you like to know what evolution is?

Have you ever been confused by the fact that skills aren’t passed to offspring but physical characteristics are?

• Key Terms

Evolution- The change in populations that is due to advantageous heritable traits that are passed down through generations.

Natural Selection- The process by which species who are genetically better adapted to their environments will be more likely to survive and pass on their genes.

Population- A group of one species that breed together and live in the same general location

• Loose Ends

There are not any loose ends in the video per se, however, because it is a relatively simplistic video I will add some points that the video could have added but didn’t necessarily need to

-The theory of evolution was popularized by Charles Darwin in his book called On the Origin of Species.

-Evolution is quite random. Rarely, one member of a species will be born with a certain mutation. Most times that this occurs the mutation is not advantageous and leads to the organism dying. Sometimes, however, the mutation is advantageous and this leads to evolution should this organism reproduce.

– Evolution is how ancient marine life came from single celled organisms, amphibians came from fish, reptiles came from amphibians, and humans came from monkeys.

-Also it is worth noting that evolution does not usually result in the extinction of the original species from which another species evolved. That is why there are still monkeys today among many other types of species. As long as the original species can still thrive or make due in their environments, they will continue to exist

6)  Self-Test Questions

1) Evolution occurs to what?

1. A) Individuals in a species
2. B) Populations in a species
3. C) Males in a species
4. D) Females in a species

2) Natural Selection involves?

1. A) Acquired traits
2. B) Physical characteristics only
3. C) Genetic traits
4. D) Learned skills

3) Evolution takes approximately how many years for even small changes to occur in populations of species?

1. A) Hundreds of years
2. B) Thousands of years
3. C) Millions of years
4. D) 10-50 years

4) Who chooses traits to be by passed on to the next generations?

1. A) The individual members of a species
2. B) God
3. C) Scientists
4. D) Nature and probability

5) What is the relationship between natural selection and evolution?

1. A) Natural selection is a process that drives evolution
2. B) Evolution is a process that drives natural selection
3. C) They are the same thing
4. D) Natural Selection involves individuals and evolutions involve populations

Solutions

• B- Evolution occurs to populations of a species
• C- Natural selection involves genetic traits that are passed down through generations, this can include more than just physical traits
• C-Evolution takes millions of years for even small changes to occur in a population
• D-Nature “selects” traits to be passed down through generations. It is all about the members of a species who are more likely to reproduce and this is where probability comes in
• A- Natural selection is a process that drives evolution