Darwin's Postulates
P3 Mauricio Gonzalez
Variation - There is variety within species
The first postulate is that of variation. Darwin created an experiment involving the color of Snapdragon flowers and the bee’s pollination. He predicted that there was a variation between individuals which is heritable and variated. This variation helps distinguish species from one another. These variations also help influence the survival of the fittest ensuring the survival of a specific variation (characteristic) that allowed the organism to be successful.
Inheritance - Offspring look like their parents
In the same experiment, Darwin noticed that some flowers were all yellow, and some were all white with yellow spots. These genotypes, he noticed, came from different dominant and recessive combinations where plants would inherit, from their parent plant, their own traits. Those with the recessive, all yellow, trait would not give offspring involving a yellow-spotted plant because their child inherited their alleles.
Differential Survival - External conditions affecting survival
Differential survival relates to the ability of the organism’s survival depending on its environment. Organisms hunt one another and compete for survival. A drought can kill a whole population with time. A sudden environmental disaster like a hurricane or a flood can also take away an organism’s home and lead them to their death.
Extinction - Some traits are suited to survival and those without them will die out
There can be many changes in one organism’s environment and it is for it’s greater good that it adapts and evolves in order to keep alive. Those who are unable to adapt or that have the appropriate characteristics needed to survive will end up dying out due to the fact that they are overwhelmed by their environment. The factors overwhelming them could be both due to biotic or abiotic factors (as well as temporary changes).
Bibliography
Ch 3. Darwinian Natural Selection. (2016).Faculty.buffalostate.edu. Retrieved 5 April 2016, from http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/penaloj/bio405/outline3.html
Darwin's Four Postulates. (2016).Ib.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 5 April 2016, from http://ib.berkeley.edu/courses/ib162/Week1.htm
The Role of Extinction in Evolution. (2016). Pnas.org. Retrieved 5 April 2016, from http://www.pnas.org/content/91/15/6758.full.pdf
What are Darwin's 4 postulates? Please help!!?. (2016).Answers.yahoo.com. Retrieved 5 April 2016, from https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110907172752AApgwkg