AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Under an evolutionary phenomenon called relaxed selection, traits that were advantageous in one time and place become obsolete in another. Traits that aren’t actively maintained by natural selection tend to become smaller or less functional over time, studies suggest.

Detailed explanation-2: -Vestigiality is the retention, during the process of evolution, of genetically determined structures or attributes that have lost some or all of the ancestral function in a given species.

Detailed explanation-3: -There could be a single DNA change or a whole sequence of changes. Genes could be deleted and go away completely, or genes could be duplicated. Any one of those mutations can alter an organism’s traits or phenotype. These traits are heritable, meaning it can be passed down to future generations.

Detailed explanation-4: -Natural selection is a mechanism of evolution. Organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success. This process causes species to change and diverge over time.