Question

Natural selection is a fundamental mechanism driving the evolution of species. To research this conclusion a group of scientist want to test the effects of increased river salinity on a population of catfish in a river. What results from this experiment would confirm that natural selection is a process that can drive evolution

Answer 1

Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in heritable traits of a population over time. Charles Darwin popularised the term "natural selection", and compared it with artificial selection.

Answer 2

Answer:

The result which could confirm that natural selection is a process that can drive evolution is "change in the allele frequency of the population".

When salinity of the river is increased, the individuals which can tolerate the changing environment would survive.

Due to natural selection, these individuals would survive and reproduce more efficiently as compared to the individuals which lack such traits or adaptations.

Over generations, the population would only consist of these organisms and thus, the allele frequency of the population would change.

Hence, the population would evolve.