Why does evolution occur at different rates at different times?

Genetic inheritance, which determines a person's race and biological make-up, is what gives humans their biological differences. Human characteristics are handed down to the following generation through a process of natural selection known as genetic inheritance. The slow alterations that develop over time are what lead to organismal evolution. These alterations are gradually passed down from parent to child, creating an evolutionary tree that charts the organism's development. Genetics is just one of several evolutionary processes that play a role in how organisms adapt to varied environmental, physiological, and structural dynamics. While various factors such as changes in the environment can be attributed to evolution, the primary contributors and determinants of the nature and extent of evolutions are the changes that occur within an organism’s genomes and genes. These are critical factors in the process of biological evolution. The organism’s structure, shape and function are determined by its genetic material. In this project, I will demonstrate that variations in genetics and environment influence the evolution of organisms making some to evolve faster while others evolve at a significantly lower pace.

Proposed Methods

The attainment of research objectives will require the identification of the optimal method that is applicable, reliable and effective in producing desired results. The acquisition of relevant data and information will rely on comprehensive literature review on the evolution of organisms. The synthesis of literature will be ideal for this project to demonstrate that in the natural world, organisms develop at different paces and various ways; hence the concept of variations in species.

Methodology

The research uses mixed method research design because this approach presents vast “opportunities to use multiple sources of information from multiple approaches to gain new insights into the social world” (Ching 30). However, a research design is more of a correlational study seeking to determine whether breast feeding has an impact on public health; specifically the physical and mental health of infants. A mixed methods research design integrates both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Quantitative research “expressed its concept in variable forms while qualitative research expressed the concepts in motives and generalization” (Creswell 107). Approach utilized in quantitative research are universal (mean, median, mode) whereas in qualitative research the approach depends on the nature of data (Creswell 155). Quantitative research “uses primarily deductive process used to test pre-specified concepts, constructs, and hypotheses that make up a theory. It is more objective and provides observed effects of a program on a problem or condition. Meanwhile, Qualitative are mainly inductive processes used to formulate theory or hypotheses” (Creswell 112). Quantitative research use data that are in numerical form and use specific measurement; while data in qualitative research data can be words, images, transcripts. Results in quantitative research may be presented in graphs and charts while in qualitative studies it is illustrated in words and in descriptive manner. Quantitative research involved the “measurement of various factors in order to determine the relationship between variables or outcomes of selecting a certain decision against another whereas qualitative research is a comparative research that uses descriptions in words or images to illustrate the difference between one variable and the other. These are used in decision making where the best described variable is favorable” (Creswell 183).

Literature Review

The literature review will investigate how various organisms develop at different rates on the basis of various factors; however, some have a higher affinity and chance to reproduce as a result of a number of heritable factors. Individuals are characterized as more fit an aspect that contributes to the successful survival and propagation of that organism. Therefore, such advantageous traits including fertility and resilience are critical to an organism’s survival in highly competitive state of nature. In addition, these give the organism a higher probability for reproduction. According to Milot, “microevolution, defined as a genetic change from one generation to the next in response to natural selection, can lead to changes in the phenotypes (observable characters) of organisms over just a few years or decades” (17041).

The inheritance of certain attributes makes organism evolve variously. While organism may have a single original parent, they do not inherit the same genetic changes, these results in a variation of the species, where through inheritance, organisms continue to vary. As a result, the evolution of various species occurs. In essence, without variation, evolution would not occur. Significantly, the variations of species require the each distinct organism have adequate ability to reproduce and survive, else such an organism would die away and become extinct. The significance of the difference between the quantification of fitness among organisms can be described as an organism with the highest offspring’s is the fit organism.

There are various races that are distinguishable on the basis of skin color and physical attributes (Winston 206). While variation can be described as the various distinct organisms that result from a single parent; evolution also describes variation as the different changes that occur in a given species. This variation can be inherited from a parent or caused by changes in the environment. In essence, inherited variation is passed through genetic inheritance from the parent to the offspring. Inherited variation in species can be described as observed physiological changes such as eye color, the shape of ears, nose or other distinctive features. This results from genetic information that is transmitted from the parent to children resulting in a new organism that has its own unique set of genetic information ready to transmit to its offspring.

Evolution is significantly reliant on reproduction for its perpetuation. In essence, reproduction is critical since it leads to the creation of an entirely new organism that is independent of the parents (Greenberger 131). Various organisms have different ways of reproducing such as asexual and sexual reproduction. In the case of asexual reproduction, a single organism is responsible for reproduction while in sexual reproduction; two organisms of a defined species are required for reproduction to occur.

Milot asserts that the recognition of evolution traits “requires information on phenotype, pedigree links, and fitness over a sufficient number of generations” (Milot 17042). It is through reproduction that key genetic information is inherited; therefore, the concept of race is a factor of biological process of genetic inheritance. The nature of genetic information that is transferred is selective making some organism stronger and healthier than others. In addition, the transmission of genetic information is critical since it integrates small changes that when accumulated over several generations, results to a different organism that has adapted to environmental diversity, capable of surviving and perpetuating the species through healthy reproduction.

Conclusion

There is an inherent trend in organisms to change progressively over generations. Natural selection is among the key factors that explain and influence evolution. Through natural selection, organisms have been able to transfer genetic material through generations creating an evolution history that explains current variations of organism in the natural world. Evolution is a historical process that explains the different organism, their distinct attributes and adaptation to the environment. The complexity of biological informational code explains the varied and diverse forms of life, their survival and perpetuation. Since Darwin presented his theories on the origins of species, numerous studies involving tests for microevolution have shed light into the diversity and dynamics of nature.







































Works Cited

Ching, Gregory. “Looking into the issues of rewards and punishment in students.” International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, Vol. 1, no.2, 2012, pp. 29-38.

Creswell, John W. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. London: Sage, 2014.

Dimijian, Gregory G. “Darwinian natural selection: Its enduring explanatory power.” Baylor Medical Center Proceedings, vol. 25. No.2, 2012, pp. 139-149.

Greenberger, Robert. Darwin and the Theory of Evolution. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2005.

Milot, Emmanuel et al. “Evidence for evolution in response to natural selection in a contemporary human population.” Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, vol. 108, no. 41, 2011, pp.17040-17045.

Winston, Judith. Describing species: Practical taxonomic procedure for biologists. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.