Evolution of a population under varying conditions

Abstract

The primary aim of this simulation project is to experimentally study the evolution of populations under varying natural selection conditions and environments using Unicorn Evolution Machine simulator. Due to limited resources, organisms within a population possessing the most favorable traits for reproduction and survival usually leave more offspring as compared to their counterparts with less suitable traits. Over several generations, this results in a significant increase in the favorable trait within the population thereby making the population to become adapted to its natural selection environment.

Introduction

Darwin’s theory of evolution particularly suggests that populations of interbreeding organisms normally undergo gradual change over time and in different environments. Over long periods of time, the gradual changes in both form and behavior may result in significant differences between the organisms thereby eventually leading to the formation of different species (Darwin and Bynum, 2009). Due to limited resources, organisms within a population possessing the most favorable traits for reproduction and survival usually leave more offspring as compared to their counterparts with less suitable traits. Over several generations, this results in a significant increase in the favorable trait within the population thereby making the population to become adapted to its natural selection environment.

Materials and Methods

The primary material used in the simulation experiment was a Unicorn Machine Simulator. The simulation involved running red, blue and green unicorns in the simulator application to evolve their subsequent generations. The resultant allele frequencies and relative fitness of each of the three unicorns were then analyzed and calculated.

Results

The results showed the unicorns with more favorable heritable variations were able to interbreed more rapidly and become dominant as compared to the other unicorns with less favorable traits relative to their natural selection environment as shown in the table below”

Figure 1: The changing number of unicorns over 50 generations

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The graph in figure 2 below shows that the red unicorns were able to interbreed more rapidly and become dominant as compared to the other variations of unicorns like the blue and the green unicorns. However, the population of the red unicorns soon flattened as their allele generations reached saturation. On the other hand, the populations of the blue unicorns rapidly increased in the firsts few generations but soon flattened before picking up again and rising until it reached its peak at the 45^th generation. Similarly, the population of the green also rose rapidly in the first generation and soon began to begin to decline up to the generation 35 where it rose up until it peaked in the 45^th generation.

Figure 2: Graph of the changing number of unicorns over 50 generations

Discussion

Evolution is a gradual change in which traits which are most beneficial for reproduction and survival of a particular population are favored in relation to the other less favorable traits. For example, as was seen in the simulations, the unicorns with more favorable heritable variations were able to interbreed more rapidly and become dominant as compared to the other unicorns with less favorable traits relative to their natural selection environment. For example, As can be seen in the graph in figure 2 below, the red unicorns were able to interbreed more rapidly and become dominant as compared to the other variations of unicorns like the blue and the green unicorns. This is a likely indication that the red unicorns possess more favorable traits relative to their natural selection environment as compared to the other unicorns.

Natural selection is the primary mechanism of change over time in evolution as it ensures that the members of a population which are most adapted to the particular natural selection conditions are able to increase in frequency as compared to their less adapted counterparts over many generations. This is particularly attributed to the variations which exist within any given population of organisms. For example, as can be seen in the graph, the blue and green unicorn population rapidly increased in the initial generation due to the selective advantage they enjoyed. However, as their numbers increased the selective advantage began to decline and the population soon began to reduce until it later picked up again. The variations may be attributed to variations in their national selection environments.

According to Colautti and Lau (2015), every individual organism within a population usually exhibits some level of variation both in terms of appearance and behavior. The variations must be hereditary to ensure that they can be passed down to the future generations. For example, as organisms within a population complete for resources over generations, the individuals with well suited traits for the natural selection environment are often predisposed to contribute more offspring in the next generations as their traits confer them a comparative advantage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, natural selection favors traits which are most beneficial when it comes to reproduction and survival of a particular population. Over time and space, the organisms within a population possessing the most favorable traits for reproduction and survival usually leave more offspring as compared to their counterparts with less suitable traits