Part 06 · Variation and evolution · Card 1 of 11
Variation
The differences between individuals of the same species. It comes from genes, the environment or both.
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Analogy
No two snowflakes are exactly the same.
In practice
People differ in height partly from genes and partly from diet.
Practice
Flashcards
- What are the two causes of variation?Genes and the environment.
Interview questions
- Explain how natural selection can lead to evolution.
- There is variation within a species
- Individuals with helpful features survive and breed
- They pass on the alleles for those features
- Over many generations the population changes
- Describe how selective breeding is used and give one problem it causes.
- Parents with desired features are chosen
- Offspring with the best features are bred again
- Repeated over many generations
- Less variation can lead to inbreeding and disease
Questions people ask
What is the difference between inherited and environmental variation?
Inherited variation comes from the genes you get from your parents, like eye colour or blood group. Environmental variation is caused by conditions, such as a scar or a plant bent by wind. Many features, such as height and weight, are influenced by both.
Why is variation important for a species?
If the environment changes, such as a new disease or a hotter climate, some individuals may have features that help them survive. A species with lots of variation is more likely to have survivors. A species with very little variation can be wiped out all at once.