Variation
- Differences exist between organisms of the same species
- These differences are known as variation
- Examples of variation include:
- Coat colour in mammals
- Body length in fish
- Flower colour in flowering plants
- The process of natural selection can only take place when there is variation in a population
- If every organism in a population is identical then no individual will be favoured over another
- There will be no advantageous characteristics leading to increased survival and chances of reproduction, and so there would be no increased likelihood of passing on those advantageous alleles
- In this situation, a population's characteristics would remain the same over time and it would be unable to adapt to any environmental changes