Question

Could a population evolve if the trait of interest was not heritable? Could a population evolve by natural selection if the trait of interest was not heritable? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

False, population can not evolve if the trait of interest is not heritable. Evolution by natural selection posses four main conditions in order to occur:

•The organism must be able to reproduce

•The trait must be heritable

•High fitness variability

•Individuals variations

As you can observe, the heritability of a determined gene is required in order to evolution by natural selection takes place. Some individuals can get a determined mutation that allow them to survive under extreme conditions on the environment. However, if this mutation is not heritable, the offspring wont have chances to survive as their parent did. The individuals with the mutation will eventually die and the population will be vulnerable to the extreme conditions