Natural selection and speciation

In summary: This process of random mating and natural selection eventually leads to the emergence of a new species that is better adapted to the snowy environment.In summary, natural selection plays a key role in the process of speciation. Through random mutations and selective pressure from the environment, certain individuals within a species may develop characteristics that make them better suited for a specific environment. Over time, these beneficial traits can become more prevalent in a population, leading to the creation of a new species that is better adapted to its surroundings.
  • #1
gracy
2,486
83
How natural selection leads to speciation?Speciation is a process of making a new species ,right? Natural selection just select one organism from a bunch of organisms of the same species to survive ,so how does it leads to creation of a new species?For example in an area covered with snow ,white rabbits from a bunch of rabbits(brown,as well as white rabbits)are more likely to survive and therefore reproduce ,so after some time white rabbits will be more in numbers but how this lead to a creation of new species?White rabbits were present even before this natural selection ,natural selection has not created any new species.How natural selection can change DNA ?As different species can only be created if DNA is changed enough that it can't interbreed with previous species to produce fertile offspring.
 
Last edited:
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #2
gracy said:
For example in an area covered with snow ,white rabbits from a bunch of rabbits(brown,as well as white rabbits)are more likely to survive and therefore reproduce ,so after some time white rabbits will be more in numbers
Overlap the high snow area with an area of less snow cover and let the total of the two areas be the range of the original single rabbit species. Then let 3,000 generations of rabbits select for white rabbit survival in the high snow area, and for brown rabbits in the low snow area. You eventually get enough accumulated difference that there are now two species occupying the range formerly occupied by one; one, white, more suited to high snow cover, and the other, brown, better fit for survival in the portion of the original range with low snow cover.
 
  • Like
Likes gracy
  • #3
White rabbit and brown rabbit are members of same species ,right?
 
  • #4
After 3,000 or so generations selecting between high and low snow cover, they are no longer the same.
 
  • Like
Likes gracy
  • #5
Bystander said:
let the total of the two areas be the range of the original single rabbit species.
original single rabbit species,including both brown and white rabbit,right?
 
  • #6
Yes.
 
  • #7
Bystander said:
white, more suited to high snow cover,
That means initially only because of white color (no other characters different from those of brown rabbits)white rabbits survived in that area which was covered with snow but after 3,000 or so generation we will get completely different different enough to be called as of different species .Because the white rabbit would now develop very much other characters different from that of brown rabbit or even different from initial white rabbit foe eg it my develop more hair i.e it may become more hairy to adapt according to snowy environment.Right?
 
  • #8
You've got the idea. None of us live long enough to actually see it happen, but that's one of the speciation mechanisms.
 
  • Like
Likes gracy
  • #9
OK.Can you please explain how white rabbits develop characters that are better suited for snow areas?There Should be mechanism for this .In which sideheading(topic) we learn this in biology?
 
  • #10
That should be hiding in the index somewhere under "chance or random mutation." Beyond that, there's not a whole lot that's known.
 
  • Like
Likes gracy
  • #11
Bystander said:
That should be hiding in the index somewhere under "chance or random mutation." Beyond that, there's not a whole lot that's known.
So only because of random mutation,i suspect this.Because why would random mutation would be so well targeted,i mean how these mutations because of which white rabbits develop characters that are better suited for snow areas can be called as random mutations.As these mutations are not random it appears to have a purpose of providing characters that are better suited for snowy areas.
 
Last edited:
  • #12
There are as many mutations that are unfavorable to survival as there are favorable. The unfavorable cases don't survive. "Targeted" mutation is NOT a factor. You can look up Lysenko, or Lysenkoism as examples. Bottom line is that just because you want to be taller, you can't make yourself taller, or able to digest cellulose, or become photosynthetic. It's just sheer dumb luck that your ancestors mutated the directions they did, and that those mutations didn't kill their descendants.
 
  • Like
Likes gracy
  • #13
I am asking
white rabbits became new species because it was more adapted /showed characters which suited for snowy areas.How they showed characters which suited for snowy areas?
Your answer -Random mutation
My objection-How this can be random ?As this mutation appears to have a purpose of providing characters that are better suited for snowy areas.
Your answer on this ?
 
  • #14
Rabbits are prolific breeders. In every generation of rabbits there will be many mutations. Most of these will be neutral, many will be harmful, but one or two may confer a benefit. These are then more likely to be passed to the next generation and potentially spread throughout the population.

Thus, there is no targeting, except that the environment targets and tests every mutation. It ignores the neutral ones, discourages the negative ones and selects the positive ones.
 
  • Like
Likes gracy
  • #15
Bystander said:
There are as many mutations that are unfavorable to survival as there are favorable. The unfavorable cases don't survive. "Targeted" mutation is NOT a factor. You can look up Lysenko, or Lysenkoism as examples. Bottom line is that just because you want to be taller, you can't make yourself taller, or able to digest cellulose, or become photosynthetic. It's just sheer dumb luck that your ancestors mutated the directions they did, and that those mutations didn't kill their descendants.
Oh!I got your point after reading ophiolite post.Thanks again.
 
  • #16
Ophiolite said:
Rabbits are prolific breeders. In every generation of rabbits there will be many mutations. Most of these will be neutral, many will be harmful, but one or two may confer a benefit. These are then more likely to be passed to the next generation and potentially spread throughout the population.

Thus, there is no targeting, except that the environment targets and tests every mutation. It ignores the neutral ones, discourages the negative ones and selects the positive ones.
Thanks.
 
  • #17
There are rabbits with some special genes on to expose their endurance to cold winters. These will mate randomly with others to create a new population that also has these "enduring" genes. Other less enduring animals do not necessarily die out as what the phrase "selection of the fittest" may suggest, they may i.e migrate or move gradually to other areas and mate with dark or brown rabbits to produce new generations of warmer blood and pigments on their body parts to exhibit the specialties of tropical beauties. Overtime, a whole new species which best matches with surrounding conditions appears. That is also when a new branch on the tree of life comes into being.
 
  • #18
Bystander said:
You've got the idea. None of us live long enough to actually see it happen, but that's one of the speciation mechanisms.
We don't live long enough for the rabbits, but for E. Coli (in an artificial environment) we do.
 
  • Like
Likes Medicol
  • #19
Bystander said:
You've got the idea. None of us live long enough to actually see it happen, but that's one of the speciation mechanisms.
See the Hardy-Weinberg Law and genetic drift rate.
 
  • Like
Likes Medicol

What is natural selection?

Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring. This leads to changes in the genetic makeup of a population over time.

How does natural selection lead to speciation?

Natural selection can lead to speciation, or the formation of new species, by causing genetic variation within a population. As individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, they pass on their genes to their offspring. Over time, this can result in a distinct population with different traits, leading to speciation.

What are the different types of natural selection?

The three main types of natural selection are directional selection, where one extreme of a trait is favored over the other, stabilizing selection, where the average trait is favored, and disruptive selection, where both extremes of a trait are favored. These types of selection can lead to different outcomes in terms of evolution and speciation.

What role does genetic drift play in speciation?

Genetic drift, or the random changes in gene frequencies within a population, can also play a role in speciation. It can lead to changes in the genetic makeup of a population over time, which can result in two separate populations with distinct genetic traits, leading to speciation.

Can natural selection and speciation occur in a short period of time?

Yes, natural selection and speciation can occur in a relatively short period of time, depending on the rate of environmental change and the strength of natural selection. In some cases, speciation can occur within a few hundred generations, while in others it may take thousands of years.

Similar threads

  • Biology and Medical
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
2
Views
781
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
19
Views
5K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
17
Views
3K
Back
Top