
As a result, the deer mice quickly became better able to hide from predators in the sand, allowing for survival in the new environment. Scientists say this change came about as a result of just one genetic change.
Deer mice that migrated to the sandhills of Nebraska quickly changed from dark brown to light brown, a change that allowed the species to survive in this environment. After factories had to reduce soot output, light-colored moths increased in number. As a result, light-colored moths were eaten by birds more readily. When London's atmosphere became soot-filled due to burning coal during the Industrial Revolution, the white trees got darker. Most peppered moths used to be a light color with black spots. This is because tail characteristics are passed from adult breeding peacocks to their offspring. Today, because most breeding males have large, bright tales, it is rare to find males that do not have bright feathers. The ones with the largest and brightest tails mate more often. Peacock females pick their mate according to the male's tail. Since the environment supports both types of beaks, both remain in the population. During rainy times, more small seeds were produced and the finches with smaller beaks fared better. During times of drought, the finches with the larger beaks survived better than those with smaller beaks. Galapagos finches have different types of beaks. There are many real-world examples of the impact of natural selection in animals throughout the animal kingdom. Such mutations giving the organism a competitive advantage.Įxamples of Natural Selection Examples in Animals Practically speaking, natural selection occurs when mutations (changes) to an organism's DNA are advantageous. This idea is the cornerstone behind Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. This idea that species change over time in order to survive in their environment is what natural selection is. Why? Because offspring will develop traits or characteristics that predispose them to do well in their natural environment. As a result, the species will change over time.
As offspring are born, they will have the advantageous genetic traits passed on from their parents. Those that can adapt are much more likely not just to survive, but also to thrive and reproduce. Organisms that are unable to adapt to changes in the environment are unlikely to survive or reproduce. Natural selection occurs when traits that predispose organisms to survive in an environment are passed from parents to their offspring. Natural selection can be defined as the process through which species adapt to their environment in order to survive.