Evolution Vs Natural Selection

Evolution is the process of living organisms developing over time, the changing characteristics of a species over many generations and relies on the process of natural selection. The theory of evolution is based on the idea that all species are related somehow and gradually changed over time. Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, is that more individuals are produced through each generation that can survive. Darwin believed that those with heritable traits with better suited to the environment will survive. Natural selection depends on the environment and existing heritable variation. Animals that poorly adapted to their environment are less likely to survive. Therefore their genes are less likely to be passed on to the next generation.

Genetic variation is the diversity in our DNA and is what makes each living creature different from one another within a species, even though they share the same characteristics and share genetic information. A cell is created by one sex cell inherited from both parents to form a pair of sex cells. The chromosomes consist of genes and present characteristics and traits which the parents display. The different genes shown are called mutations in the DNA code. The gene pool of a species can contain many alleles and when two of the alleles interact it can be described as a dominant or recessive trait, this is another way to identify differential species. If two or more species share a unique physical feature, they may all have inherited this feature from a common

Both the narwhal and dolphin are from the same order, artiodactyla and are believed to have evolved from a common ancestor called the . To determine similarities and difference between the evolution of a species, evidence is shown in the bone structure of fossils and therefore allowing comparisons to be made. Scientist have used fossil evidence to produce theories, such as Darwin’s theory of Evolution. The Phylogenetic tree is a branching diagram which categories animals into different orders, indicating the differences within a species. Overall it is claimed that species from the same order of classification share genetic information from a common ancestor. Both the dolphin and Narwhal belong to the Cetacean order. The theory of cetacean evolution was that whales were related to the Mesonychids, an extinct order of hoofed animals, which looked like wolves with hooves and were related to the Artiodactyls. The narwhal’s tooth is comparable to the tusks of elephants or warthogs, but scientists are unsure how closely they are related. About 95 million years ago Mesonix, the ancestor of today's bottlenosed dolphin, appeared on Earth. It was a terrestrial animal that went into the water to feed. Mesonix had front and hind limbs containing bones to support its weight. It was covered with hair. Over the next 30