Topic 1 - Variation: Natural Selection And Evidence For Evolution Flashcards
What’s the role of peer review in supporting new scientific evidence?
Other scientists review work before it’s published to make sure it’s valid and carried out correctly.
How do scientific conferences help to make sure new scientific research is valid and reliable?
Scientists present their work st conferences and discuss it with other scientists. This means new evidence is shared and discussed to make sure it’s good quality.
How does DNA research and the emergence of resistant organisms support Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection?
DNA research shows that all organisms share common ancestors that different species diverged gradually through changes in DNA. The emergence of resistant organisms shows that populations which are resistant to, for example, poisons can develop because the resistant organisms are more likely to survive and pass on their characteristics.
What is the role of scientific journals in supporting new evidence?
Scientists publish their work in scientific journals. If other scientists can repeat the experiments and get the same results they can be confident that the evidence is reliable.
Describe natural selection.
Individuals of a species have different characteristics because they have differences in their genes. Individuals with characteristics which make them better adapted to the environment have a better chance of survival. They are therefore more likely to survive and so breed and pass on the genes responsible for the useful characteristic. Individuals that are less well adapted to survive and reproduce. Over time, there will be a higher proportion of individuals with beneficial characteristics and eventually poorly adapted characteristics may be lost.
