Evolution by Natural Selection - Vida Chart

Variation

Individuals in a population differ in some trait.

Variations can be physical features, behaviors, bodily functions, or resistance to disease.

Inheritance

The trait is inherited (passed from parents to offspring).

The variation comes from random mutations and the recombination during sexual reproduction.

Differential Survival and Reproduction

More offspring are born than can survive.

Some individuals with a trait are more likely to survive and reproduce than those without the trait.

Selection depends on the environment. Traits that are beneficial in one environment may not be beneficial in another.

Adaptation

The frequency of the trait that helps individuals survive or leave more offspring will increase in the
population over time, as will the alleles that affect the trait.

This process can take many generations and extend over very long periods of time.