Evolution question: How does a single mutation help a creature survive?

Question

I understand how all the mutations combined help species procreate but a mutations on its own is a very small step. How is it not too small?

Answer 1

for the obvious reason of being able to adapt to it's environment you dolt!

Answer 2

Some mutations are so trivial, on their own that there is no selective pressure to maintain them or eliminate them. If enough offspring live, the mutation persists. This is the basis of variation in the population. At the extreme, there is the neutral theory of molecular evolution. Some mutations have no impact on survival. They can persist and drift through the population or fade away over time. These markers are part of DNA fingerprinting and their presence in two populations suggests relatedness. It is a great tool for studying evolution.

Answer 3

Example: Butterflies (i forget the specific name) in Britain during the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution in britain cause the production of soot from the coal factories which blackned the trees. These particular butterflies were usually found as brown with black stripes which allowed them to belnd into the bark of trees. Sometimes a single mutation in the pigmentation gene of these butterflies made certain amount of the population be black. However, prior to the industrial revolution, these black population of butterflies were easily seen by birds and picked off. Thus, very few lived to reproduce. However, once the industrial revolution hit and the soot turned the tree barks a dark colored butterflies had a natural adaptation and thus the lighter colored butterflies started to die out. Again, however, a few of them were able to survive.

This is an example of how a single mutation allows a species to survive.

Answer 4

It may, it may not.

A very large number of mutations change nothing practical at all (that's one way populations of animals can be related to one another: cladistically)

Drastic mutations are very frequently fatal. But the point is that over very long periods almost all accessible variations are tried, whether they are beneficial to the individual or not. Those that are tend to become established. It's incredibly messy, like trying to pass an exam by writing answers when you're not told what the questions are.
But provided you don't care about the fate of any particular individual or generation, it works.
(That's not saying I don't care about individuals: Evolution doesn't care. It'll try just about anything but, for good statistical reasons, it operates from patterns that have already worked.)

Answer 5

A creature will mutate to survive. It doesn't matter how big or how small the change is. I don't think mutating or changing has anything to do with procreation. Procreation makes life, not change.

Answer 6

I can imagine a single mutation resulting in longer fur for, a kind of rabbit say - if the climate is gradually cooling this will give that line of rabbits an advantage, won't it.

Evolution isn't hard to understand but its harder than 'god did it' which is the religious fundamentalist's non-answer - I suggest you get yourself a textbook. If because of your religious beliefs you are unable to accept the truth of evolution and reject whatever proof you are shown then you are trapped in ignorance and are beyond reason and rationality.

Answer 7

Darwin's finches were very similar, but had very subtly different beaks, which adapted to different food sources as they became isolated on different islands. I don't know if a single mutation can account for a different beak shape or not, but the point is that very subtle evolutionary changes can indeed help one creature to survive rather than another.

Answer 8

Like it or not Evolution like many have said before is a theory. It is not a absolute at all. Any biologist will tell you there is much proof of micro evolution(change and adaptation amongst species) but there is no evidence at all that has ever shown macro evolution a jump in species(dog to cat or goat to horse). Except for fossils which show animals which scientist claim are evidence of such jumps but could be any animal that simply just existed and went into extinction...so where is the proof? Scientist have only ever had luck manipulating life between species never outside of those boundaries. The dinosaur is just another example that their is no evidence so far of a transition between one species turning to another. there are only dinosaurs fossils no transitional fossils exist...

Answer 9

It gradually become a major change from the original through out the generations of the species.

Answer 10

this is why it takes centuries for the mutation to become pronounced among the species.

Answer 11

Fortunately, they usually are. There would be some weird sh!t going on if every mutation produced some unusual morphological manifestation.

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hazel eyes -

I guess you don't believe in all that medical science crap either, huh? I mean, since modern medical science only has meaning, and only works, if evolution is true, then if you went to a doctor or hospital, that would make you a hypocrite, now wouldn't it?