Darwin used his knowledge of breeding programs for plants and animals in developing the Theory of Natural Selection. The common thread in all definitions is genetic change through time . In our discussions of microevolution, we will focus on gene frequencies. More specifically we can define evolution as change in gene frequencies of a population over time. Evolution occurs because different idividuals which are genetically different tend to leave different numbers of offspring to grow, mature, and reproduce in the subsequent generation.
Evolution refers to temporal changes in the genetic structure of a population of any source or kind.
Natural selection specifies one way in which genetic change may occur. Other possible mechanisms of evolution include gene flow, gene mutation, genetic drift, and non-random mating. All rights reserved.