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Natural selection is based on the environment and on the traits of organisms. Organisms with more suitable traits are more likely to survive until reproductive age, while organisms with less suitable traits are more likely to die before they can reproduce. Most of these traits are genetic traits. The phenotype is the set of all genetic traits. Natural selection is not determined by genotypes, because genotypes are merely an organism's genetic makeup. Only the dominant or somewhat dominant alleles in the genotype will also appear in the phenotype. However, genotypes still contribute to natural selection indirectly in that two alleles in two parents' genotypes which had not appeared in their phenotypes could be inherited such that they are in the phenotype of the offspring.

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Natural selection acts on phenotypes because they are the observable traits that directly impact an organism's survival and reproduction. Genotypes influence phenotypes, so changes at the genetic level can result in changes in the phenotype, which then determines an organism's fitness in its environment. Therefore, natural selection ultimately operates on phenotypes as they are the functional units that affect an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

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Q: Why does natural selection only work on phenotypes?
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What comes first mutation or natural selection?

Natural selection can only work on genetic variation that already exists. So mutation comes first, then natural selection.


What is natural selection and what is affecting it?

Natural selection is way that evolution works. Whatever is in the environment selects traits that will work best in that environment. If the area that animals are in is very dry, only those that can adapt to it will survive. If it is very cold, only ones with heavy fur or the ability to hibernate will survive. This why it is called the survival of the fittest.


Why does natural selection not directly affect genes?

Natural selection acts on the way organisms interact with one another and with their environment. The genes of organisms are not usually themselves involved in this interaction: they direct it through intermediaries such as proteins. So natural selection must work through these intermediaries to affect genes.


When was natural selection accepted?

Natural selection was formally accepted as a major mechanism of evolution in the 19th century with the publication of Charles Darwin's seminal work "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. However, the concept of natural selection was not widely accepted until later in the 20th century when more evidence in support of the theory accumulated.


When did Charles Darwin discover natural selection?

Charles Darwin first developed his theory of natural selection in the mid-19th century, during his travels on the HMS Beagle. He published his groundbreaking work "On the Origin of Species" in 1859, outlining his concept of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution.

Related questions

Why does natural selection work on organisms phenotypes rather than their genotypes?

This is backward, natural selection works on genotype not phenotype.


What comes first mutation or natural selection?

Natural selection can only work on genetic variation that already exists. So mutation comes first, then natural selection.


How does natural selection work for or against an organism?

Natural selection reduces the number of fertile offspring an organism may raise.


What is the only thing that natural selection can work on?

Things that produce differing replicas of themselves. The most common example of this is life.


How much natural selection leads to evolution?

All natural selection results in evolution. But natural selection is not necessarily the only mechanism leading to evolution. There are processes at work on a molecular level, such as intragenomic conflict-type processes, that also result in differential reproductive success, but aren't exactly related to the kind of processes Darwin first described.


Does natural selection work on a variation already present in a population?

Yes.


Why was Charles Darwin work important?

because he created the natural selection


Time why does natural selection continue to work?

Natural selection creates a stronger species that is able to live longer and produce more. It continues to work because after a few generations, the traits will become common in the population.


What two limits to evolution by natural selection?

Natural selection is limited by the ability of the population to produce variation. This in turn is limited by the amount of mutation a lineage can survive. Too many mutations, and the effect becomes detrimental. Too few, and the population may not be able to adapt fast enough to changing circumstances and go extinct.


What is natural selection and what is affecting it?

Natural selection is way that evolution works. Whatever is in the environment selects traits that will work best in that environment. If the area that animals are in is very dry, only those that can adapt to it will survive. If it is very cold, only ones with heavy fur or the ability to hibernate will survive. This why it is called the survival of the fittest.


Why does natural selection continue work over time?

Natural selection creates a stronger species that is able to live longer and produce more. It continues to work because after a few generations, the traits will become common in the population.


Is natural selection the only force that drives biological evolution?

No, natural selection is just one of the forces that drive biological evolution. Other factors include genetic drift, gene flow, and mutations. These processes can all contribute to changes in the genetic composition of populations over time.