Although the above process is being conducted in the lab, in nature, this general process would be an example of natural selection.
The process described, even when conducted in a laboratory setting, aligns with the concept of natural selection as observed in nature. Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism of evolution, proposed by Charles Darwin, whereby certain traits within a population confer advantages for survival and reproduction. In a natural environment, organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation, leading to an increase in the frequency of those beneficial traits over time.
In the laboratory scenario, if specific conditions or factors are favoring certain characteristics or behaviors, the selection of those traits in subsequent generations mirrors the natural processes that occur in the wild. This emulation of natural selection in a controlled environment allows scientists to study and understand evolutionary principles, adaptation, and genetic variation.
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In this lab, we were given the task of modeling the process of natural selection. Natural selection is when an environment poses obstacles and chooses to favor a certain trait over another. We created fake paper “birds” for this model, with straws and construction paper. This lab showed was both accurate and helpful and not so accurate. One way this lab was accurate, was the correct showing of mutations and random changes over generations in the birds. We rolled the dice and flipped a coin to figure how the birds would be affected in the new generation. This was much like how life actually is. Most of the time, things are completely random. Also any type of mutation in the bird, can change that bird drastically. Sometimes, the mutation can be harmful and not help the bird in any way. This was an accurate showing by the random roll of the dice and six different changes and the coin which controlled whether front or back would be affected. It explained how offspring are rarely ever a clone of the parent and have everything that the parent has. This can be shown as helpful and that trait becomes much more suitable for the environment.