Biology help...summarize the modern theory of evolution by natural selection?

Question

I need to summarize the modern theory of evolution by natural selection.

Thanks for your time.

Answer 1

There are some main points:

1. More offspring are produced than can possibly survive.
2. The offspring are not all alike; they have variations.
3. There's competition among the offspring for food, mates, space, etc.
4. Some of the variations may help some individuals survive while others do not. The survivors are the ones that reproduce and pass on those good variations to their own offspring.
5. Over time, the favorable variations become common in the population.

If you know the tune for "Oh, Susannah" you can sing this one to remember it more easily. I made up these two verses to help my bio students remember natural selection.

Darwin noticed that the offspring were not all alike.
And the parents made so many that they could not all survive.
There's always competition for food and mates and space.
The ones with better suited variations win the race.

Variation ... whatever comes along.
Natural selection keeps the population strong.

Better suited individuals are the ones who mate.
Their children's generation tends to have the gene that's great. (Bad rhyme, but it gets the idea.)
After many years go by they'll all have these good features.
It works for protists, plants, bacteria, fungi, and all creatures.

Variation ... whatever comes along.
Natural selection keeps the population strong.

Answer 2

Survival of the fittest.