Fenomena Evolusi : Adaptasi dan Seleksi Alam

Summary

In this educational video, Widyaningsih explains the concepts of evolution, adaptation, and natural selection as part of the 12th-grade curriculum. She discusses how organisms adapt to their environments, with those unable to do so facing natural selection. Using the example of the Biston betularia moth in England, she demonstrates how the population's color changes due to industrial pollution, illustrating the process of natural selection. Before the industrial revolution, light-colored moths were more common, but after pollution darkened the environment, dark-colored moths became more adaptive and thrived, while light-colored ones declined.

Takeaways

• 😀 Adaptation refers to an organism's ability to adjust to its environment.
• 😀 Organisms that cannot adapt to their environment will be selected against by nature.
• 😀 Adaptive organisms have a higher chance of survival and reproduction, leading to population growth.
• 😀 A clear example of adaptation and natural selection is the population change in the peppered moth (Biston betularia) in England.
• 😀 Before the Industrial Revolution, light-colored moths were more abundant because they blended in with the environment of light-colored trees and flowers.
• 😀 Light-colored moths were better adapted to their environment before industrialization, as they were less visible to predators.
• 😀 After the Industrial Revolution, pollution caused trees and flowers to darken due to soot, making dark-colored moths more adapted to the environment.
• 😀 Dark-colored moths became better camouflaged, while light-colored moths were more visible to predators, leading to a decline in their population.
• 😀 Natural selection causes the survival of those better adapted to the environment, while those less adapted are eliminated over time.
• 😀 The change in the population of moths before and after the Industrial Revolution is a practical example of evolution through natural selection and adaptation.
• 😀 The video concludes by inviting viewers to engage with a practical experiment on evolution, adaptation, and natural selection.

Q & A

What is adaptation in the context of evolution?

Adaptation is the ability of an organism to adjust to its environment. Organisms that are not able to adapt may be eliminated by natural selection.

How does adaptation affect the survival of organisms?

Organisms that can adapt to their environment have a better chance of survival and reproduction, which leads to the growth of their population.

What is natural selection, and how does it relate to adaptation?

Natural selection is the process by which organisms better suited to their environment survive and reproduce, while those less suited are removed from the population. Adaptation plays a key role in this process.

Can you explain the case of the Biston betularia moths in England?

Before the industrial revolution, lighter-colored Biston betularia moths were more common because they blended with the environment. After the industrial revolution, darker-colored moths became more common due to the blackened environment caused by soot, making them less visible to predators.

What happened to the population of light-colored Biston betularia moths after the industrial revolution?

After the industrial revolution, the population of light-colored moths declined because they were more easily spotted by predators against the now-darkened environment.

Why did the dark-colored Biston betularia moths become more prevalent after the industrial revolution?

Dark-colored moths became more prevalent because they blended better with the soot-covered trees and were harder for predators to see, giving them an advantage in survival and reproduction.

What role does the environment play in the process of natural selection?

The environment influences which traits are advantageous for survival. Organisms that have traits that are well-suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, while those with less advantageous traits are more likely to be eliminated.

How did the environment change after the industrial revolution in terms of selection pressures on moth populations?

The industrial revolution caused the environment to become darker due to soot covering trees and plants. This change created a selection pressure favoring darker-colored moths, which were better camouflaged from predators.

What is the relationship between industrial pollution and natural selection in this example?

Industrial pollution, specifically soot, created a shift in the moth population by changing the environment. Moths that were darker in color were better able to survive, showcasing how environmental changes can drive natural selection.

What can we learn from the Biston betularia example about the process of evolution?

The Biston betularia moths demonstrate how evolution through natural selection can be influenced by changes in the environment. It highlights the role of adaptation and how traits that were once advantageous can shift due to environmental changes.