5.3.5 evolution

• Evolution - the gradual change of inherited characteristics of biological populations over time
• Why does speciation happen?

  Speciation can happen as a result of evolution

  Natural mutations can create new alleles and two populations can begin to diverge (separate or split)
• Speciation - occurs when the average phenotypes of two populations have changed so much that the two populations can no longer breed to produce fertile offspring, thus creating two separate species
• Seed banks can be a way of storing genetic diversity
• Seed bank - testing

  • seeds can be stored for a long time, but every so often the seed samples are checked
  • seeds are put into warm, damp conditions to check that they can still germinate (sprout)
• Seed bank - conditions

  • seeds of many species are stored in these banks
  • kept in cool, dark, dry conditions