Evolution is cumulative change in the heritable characteristics of a population. In the Darwinian sense, characteristics acquired during an individual’s life are not inherited.
Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Outline how new traits in a species can develop over time.
a. mutations generate variation/generate new traits;
b. mutations are changes to base/nucleotide sequence (of DNA/genes);
c. new alleles are formed by mutation;
d. meiosis/sexual reproduction generates new combinations of genes/alleles;
e. natural selection;
f. better adapted (individuals) have higher chance of survival;
g. better adapted (individuals) (tend to) produce more offspring/more likely to reach reproductive age;
h. heritability / traits/genes passed on (to offspring) / offspring inherit genes/alleles of their parents;
i. directional selection causes change in traits;
j. environmental change/environmental pressure causes selection of advantageous mutations/new traits;
k. antibiotic resistance/melanism in moths/other evidence-based example of development of new traits;
I. development of new traits over time is evolution;
Reject examples of speciation for mpk.