Evoblog 10 Weblab Bio in Motion

During this lab I examined how natural selection works to bring about the evolution of adaptations. I worked with organisms and increased their cycles to see how the process of natural selection works. I learned that essential elements make up natural selection which are the struggle for existence, individual variation in phenotype, some phenotypes are better adapted, adaptions evolve and inheritance. I also discovered that evolution is gradual due to the fact that mutations only caused small changes. Also intermediate stages must be favored over earlier stages. For example, a bird cannot fly with just half a wing which means that there must have been an natural advantage for the half wing to grow. An adaptation that originally evolved for one function and later became used for a different function is called an exaptation. From this activity I learned many factors are essential to natural selection such as intermediate stages, frequency of mutations and the strength of selective pressure. I would give this interactive lab a 10 out of 10 because it explains the concept of evolution really well with animation to help one visualize.