Natural selection

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/natural-selection

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific theory?The primary mechanism for adaptive evolution, proposed by Darwin and Wallace
2. What is the core requirements?Heritable variation and differential reproductive success in a given environment
3. Why do some animals have special traits like big antlers or bright feathers?Those traits help them find mates or win fights, so they get more babies even if they can be risky for survival.
4. How does natural selection need variation in a population?It works only when animals look or act a bit differently, because those differences can be passed to babies.

Allele Frequency: The relative frequency of an allele within a population's gene pool.
Phenotype: The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism.