apply these steps in a scenario that you create explaining the process of natural selection in one specific trait of one specific species..

Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, along with mutation, migration, and genetic drift.

Darwin’s grand idea of evolution by natural selection is relatively simple but often misunderstood. To find out how it works, imagine a population of beetles:

There is variation in traits.

For example, some beetles are green and some are brown.

Color variation in these beetles

There is differential reproduction.

Since the environment can’t support unlimited population growth, not all individuals get to reproduce to their full potential. In this example, green beetles tend to get eaten by birds and survive to reproduce less often than brown beetles do.

Differential reproduction

There is heredity.

The surviving brown beetles have brown baby beetles because this trait has a genetic basis.

Heredity of the traits of the beetles who survive

End result:

The more advantageous trait, brown coloration, which allows the beetle to have more offspring, becomes more common in the population. If this process continues, eventually, all individuals in the population will be brown.

Eventually, the advantageous trait dominates

If you have variation, differential reproduction, and heredity, you will have evolution by natural selection as an outcome. It is as simple as that.

Assignment:

Now apply these steps in a scenario that you create explaining the process of natural selection in one specific trait of one specific species..

Select a trait for a plant or animal.  You do not have to know the truth about how this trait evolved.  You are going to apply the steps of Natural selection and demonstrate how the trait might have evolved through natural selection.

For ex. The animal is a gold fish and the trait is it’s color.Step 1. There is variation in the trait , Color – of a species of fish some are gold colored and some are purple colored.Step 2 Differential reproduction. – The habitat of the gold and purple fish changes.  With more rains during a long period of rainy seasons the water the fish live in becomes full of sand and has a more golden hue to it.  This makes the purple fish stand out more and they become more vulnerable to the threat of predators.   Step 3.  Heredity – The gold colored fish survive at a greater rate and get to reproduce more   Over time the fish seem to have evolved from purple or gold varieties to just gold variety.