Question

Explain how a small number of mutations can give rise to a new morphological type.

Explain how organisms evolve and diversify.

Answer 1

It is a known fact that we constantly evolve in our life span and hence become fit to the odds of nature and our surroundings. We explore new ways and in the meantime make ourselves ready to face challenges in life. Indeed our DNA is prone to various kind of mutations in life. The mutation can be favourable or deleterious. Mutations, as we know, are the sudden heritable changes which have the power to give rise to new morphological type. Since DNA, the genetic material controls all our phenotypic and genotypic character, the mutation in it in any cause can lead to the expression of new characters and hence these diverse characters may some times lead to the evolution of an organism.

For your understanding let us see some examples.

1) Sickle cell anaemia is a point mutation which changes the morphology of RBC and affects the oxygen-carrying capacity of RBCs. This is a deleterious mutation

2) Chromosomal abnormalities caused by inversion, deletion and transformation can affect the morphology of the person. Some examples are cri du chat syndrome, wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome etc.

3) The case of Darwin's FInches which have different beak based on their feeding habit, which was adaptive radiation.