4. How does nature select which animals can have young?

Todays learning: (WALT)

Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.

We have seen how artificial selection by man produced very different looking dogs and cows that produce more milk.
In the wild this selection is done by "nature"
But what is "nature" how can it select which animals can breed and have young?
Well...Just like farm animals wild animals of the same species are not all the same,
some cheetahs are faster than others....
Some lions are better at sneaking up (stalking) on prey
Some giraffes have longer necks - and tongues so can reach higher leaves....
So all this means that some cheetahs, lions and giraffes have more chance of getting food and surviving - this is called survival of the fittest.
This is decided by 'nature' which really means the surroundings or environment where the animals live.
The animals which are 'fittest' survive and are more likely to mate and produce young.
Just like cows which produce the most milk, these faster cheetahs, 'sneakier' lions and longer necked giraffes will have offspring which are slightly faster, sneakier, and longer necked.
Over time this means that cheetahs, lions, and giraffes will change or evolve to become faster, sneakier or taller.
This has been caused by 'nature' which is really the surrounding where they live and it is this which decides or selects which animals breed = natural selection.
This change which happens to animals over time, due to natural selection, is called Evolution

Explain how even animals with same parents are not exactly the same and will have different characteristics

Last modified: Monday, 25 November 2013, 7:27 PM