Changes

Natural selection will automatically take place in any system which follows a certain set of rules.  These rules are:

Natural selection will automatically take place in any system which follows a certain set of rules.  These rules are:

1) There must be a set of individuals.

#There must be a set of individuals.

 

#These individuals must reproduce somehow.

2) These individuals must reproduce somehow.

#The probability or rate of reproduction must be somehow dependent on a heritable trait of the individual (where a heritable trait is one that is more likely to be present in an individual's offspring than it is in the general population).

 

3) The probability or rate of reproduction must be somehow dependent on a heritable trait of the individual (where a heritable trait is one that is more likely to be present in an individual's offspring than it is in the general population).

In any such system, individuals whose traits allow them to reproduce more effectively will soon come to dominate the population.

In any such system, individuals whose traits allow them to reproduce more effectively will soon come to dominate the population.

Natural selection has been called a tautology because it follows from its definition, and because it has no observable consequences by itself that anyone has ever tested against an alternate theory.  

Natural selection has been called a tautology because it follows from its definition, and because it has no observable consequences by itself that anyone has ever tested against an alternate theory.

==Variation and Randomness==

==Variation and Randomness==