Final answer:
Heritability is the percentage of variation in a characteristic within a population that is due to genetic differences. Traits with high heritability are significantly influenced by genetic factors and are susceptible to natural selection, resulting in evolutionary changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Heritability is the percentage of the variation in a given characteristic that can be attributed to genetics. This concept is crucial in the field of population genetics, as it helps determine how much of the phenotype variation within a population can be passed down to future generations. Phenotype refers to the observable characteristics of an individual, such as height, eye color, and blood type, which are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. However, only the genetic factors can be inherited and thus are of interest when determining heritability.
Population variation is essential to the study of evolution, allowing a population to adapt over time in response to environmental changes and evolutionary pressures. If a trait has high heritability, it means that genetic differences are a significant source of the phenotypic variation in the population. These traits are more likely to be subject to natural selection, which can lead to evolutionary changes.