7.2 Natural and Artificial Selection
in AP Biology
Natural selection is the differential reproductive success of genetic variants and was independently conceived by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
To Think About:
Why is phenotypic variation important in a population? How does natural selection act on phenotypic variation? How do changing environments apply selective pressures to populations? What variables increase or decrease the fitness of an organism? How can humans affect genetic diversity within a population? What is convergent evolution? How does convergent evolution occur?
Watch: AP Daily Video Natural Selection
Answer the Following Questions:
- What is genetic variation?
- What is selective pressure? Give at least two examples
- An individual’s fitness is relative to ______________________________
- Explain why dark peppered moths were well adapted to their environment at first, but then this changed and the lighter colored moths were better adapted.
- What is fitness? (Yes, I know I asked this about the last video too, but this is really important!!)
- STOP the video at 5:30. Why is the sickle cell mutation higher in some populations than in other populations?
Watch: AP Daily Video Artificial Selection
Answer the Following Questions:
- What is artificial selection? What are two examples of artificial selection?
- What is convergent evolution? What causes convergent evolution to occur?
- Convergent evolution results in _____________________ structures.
- STOP the video at 3:20. Why do wombats and woodchucks have similar adaptations even though they are NOT closely related?
Supplementary Resources:
- Bozeman Science: Mr. Andersen’s “Natural Selection” video
- Bozeman Science: Mr. Andersen’s “Examples of Natural Selection” video
- Bozeman Science: Mr. Andersen’s “Selection” video
- Crash Course Biology: Natural Selection
- HHMI Biointeractive: Teaching an Online Introductory Biology Lab Using Evolution and Ecology Resources
