About Christopher Rosch Expertise I will answer questions dealing with general biology, microbiology, biochemistry and molecular biology.
Experience Experience in the area Ph.D., University of Cologne (Germany) 6 years of lab experience (microbiology and molecular biology) Teaching lab courses for students
Publications Applied and Environmental Microbiology (USA) Biochemical Society Transactions (GB) Nitrogen Fixation: Global Perspectives (CABI Publishing, GB) Federal Nature Conservation Agency (BfN, Germany) Australian Journal of Plant Physiology
Question What is the primary mechanism of evoultion?
Answer Hello Shana,
the primary mechanism of evolution is natural selection of mutations.
Mutations cause individual differences which are either neutral, advantageous or disadvantageous in the specific environment the individual lives in. By natural selection, disadvantageous mutations are eliminated, because individuals carrying such mutations have less success in reproduction than 'normal' individuals (if they reach reproductive age at all). Advantageous mutations on the other hand lead to greater success in reproduction, resulting in the propagation of advantageous mutations in a population.
