Add 10 Things We We Hate About Free Evolution
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10-Things-We-We-Hate-About-Free-Evolution.md
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The Importance of Understanding Evolution
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Most of the evidence that supports evolution comes from observing living organisms in their natural environments. Scientists also conduct laboratory experiments to test theories about evolution.
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Favourable changes, such as those that help an individual in its struggle for survival, increase their frequency over time. This process is called natural selection.
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Natural Selection
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The concept of natural selection is a key element to evolutionary biology, but it is also a key aspect of science education. Numerous studies demonstrate that the concept of natural selection and its implications are largely unappreciated by a large portion of the population, including those who have a postsecondary biology education. Yet an understanding of the theory is required for both academic and practical situations, such as research in medicine and management of natural resources.
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The easiest method of understanding the notion of natural selection is as a process that favors helpful characteristics and makes them more common in a population, thereby increasing their fitness value. The fitness value is determined by the proportion of each gene pool to offspring at every generation.
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Despite its popularity however, this theory isn't without its critics. They argue that it's implausible that beneficial mutations are always more prevalent in the genepool. They also argue that random genetic drift, environmental pressures, and other factors can make it difficult for beneficial mutations within the population to gain foothold.
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These critiques typically are based on the belief that the notion of natural selection is a circular argument. A favorable trait must be present before it can benefit the entire population and a desirable trait will be preserved in the population only if it is beneficial to the population. The opponents of this theory point out that the theory of natural selection is not an actual scientific argument at all, but rather an assertion about the effects of evolution.
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A more in-depth analysis of the theory of evolution concentrates on its ability to explain the evolution adaptive characteristics. These features are known as adaptive alleles and can be defined as those which increase an organism's reproduction success in the face of competing alleles. The theory of adaptive alleles is based on the notion that natural selection can create these alleles via three components:
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The first is a phenomenon known as genetic drift. This occurs when random changes take place in the genes of a population. This can cause a population to expand or shrink, depending on the degree of variation in its genes. The second part is a process known as competitive exclusion, which describes the tendency of some alleles to disappear from a population due competition with other alleles for resources such as food or the possibility of mates.
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Genetic Modification
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Genetic modification is a range of biotechnological procedures that alter the DNA of an organism. This can have a variety of benefits, such as an increase in resistance to pests, or a higher nutrition in plants. It is also used to create medicines and gene therapies which correct the genes responsible for diseases. Genetic Modification is a powerful instrument to address many of the world's most pressing problems like the effects of climate change and hunger.
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Scientists have traditionally employed model organisms like mice as well as flies and worms to understand the functions of specific genes. However, this method is restricted by the fact that it isn't possible to modify the genomes of these organisms to mimic natural evolution. Scientists can now manipulate DNA directly with tools for editing genes such as CRISPR-Cas9.
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This is referred to as directed evolution. Basically, scientists pinpoint the gene they want to modify and use an editing tool to make the necessary change. Then, they insert the modified genes into the body and hope that the modified gene will be passed on to future generations.
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A new gene inserted in an organism can cause unwanted evolutionary changes, which can alter the original intent of the change. Transgenes inserted into DNA an organism can affect its fitness and could eventually be eliminated by natural selection.
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Another concern is ensuring that the desired genetic modification spreads to all of an organism's cells. This is a major challenge because each type of cell is distinct. Cells that comprise an organ are very different than those that make reproductive tissues. To make a significant distinction, you must focus on all the cells.
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These challenges have triggered ethical concerns about the technology. Some people think that tampering DNA is morally wrong and like playing God. Others are concerned that Genetic Modification will lead to unexpected consequences that could negatively affect the environment and the health of humans.
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Adaptation
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The process of adaptation occurs when genetic traits alter to better fit the environment in which an organism lives. These changes are typically the result of natural selection over many generations, but they may also be caused by random mutations which cause certain genes to become more common in a group of. Adaptations are beneficial for an individual or species and can help it survive in its surroundings. Examples of adaptations include finch beak shapes in the Galapagos Islands and polar bears with their thick fur. In certain instances, two different species may be mutually dependent to survive. Orchids for [Evolutionkr.kr](https://evolutionkr.kr/) instance, have evolved to mimic the appearance and smell of bees to attract pollinators.
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Competition is an important factor in the evolution of free will. The ecological response to environmental change is significantly less when competing species are present. This is because of the fact that interspecific competition has asymmetric effects on populations sizes and fitness gradients which in turn affect the rate that evolutionary responses evolve after an environmental change.
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The shape of the competition function as well as resource landscapes also strongly influence adaptive dynamics. For instance an elongated or bimodal shape of the fitness landscape increases the probability of character displacement. Also, a low resource availability may increase the likelihood of interspecific competition by decreasing equilibrium population sizes for various kinds of phenotypes.
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In simulations with different values for the parameters k, m, V, and n, I found that the maximal adaptive rates of a disfavored species 1 in a two-species alliance are considerably slower than in the single-species situation. This is because the favored species exerts both direct and indirect pressure on the disfavored one, which reduces its population size and causes it to fall behind the maximum moving speed (see the figure. 3F).
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As the u-value nears zero, the effect of competing species on adaptation rates gets stronger. The favored species is able to attain its fitness peak faster than the one that is less favored, even if the U-value is high. The favored species can therefore utilize the environment more quickly than the species that are not favored and the evolutionary gap will grow.
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Evolutionary Theory
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Evolution is among the most widely-accepted scientific theories. It's also a major component of the way biologists study living things. It is based on the notion that all living species evolved from a common ancestor through natural selection. According to BioMed Central, this is an event where the trait or gene that helps an organism endure and reproduce in its environment becomes more common within the population. The more frequently a genetic trait is passed on the more likely it is that its prevalence will grow, and eventually lead to the creation of a new species.
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The theory also explains why certain traits are more common in the population due to a phenomenon known as "survival-of-the best." In essence, the organisms that possess genetic traits that provide them with an advantage over their competitors are more likely to survive and produce offspring. The offspring will inherit the advantageous genes, and over time, the population will gradually grow.
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In the years following Darwin's death, evolutionary biologists led by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Julian Huxley (the grandson of Darwin's bulldog, Thomas Huxley), Ernst Mayr and George Gaylord Simpson further extended his theories. This group of biologists, called the Modern Synthesis, produced an evolution model that was taught to every year to millions of students during the 1940s and 1950s.
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This model of evolution however, is unable to provide answers to many of the most urgent evolution questions. For example it fails to explain why some species appear to remain the same while others undergo rapid changes in a short period of time. It also doesn't address the problem of entropy, which states that all open systems tend to disintegrate in time.
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The Modern Synthesis is also being challenged by a growing number of scientists who are concerned that it doesn't fully explain the evolution. This is why a number of other evolutionary models are being considered. This includes the notion that evolution, rather than being a random, deterministic process, is driven by "the necessity to adapt" to the ever-changing environment. They also include the possibility of soft mechanisms of heredity which do not depend on DNA.
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