ICY SCIENCE: SCIENCE SPACE ASTRONOMY Spring 2014 | Page 66

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Consider a group of beetles which is predominantly bright green in colour. However due to mutation in their
genes, some beetles end up being brown in colour. Brown colour gives a natural advantage to the beetles as
they are camouflaged better. They pass this trait to their offspring. Over time, the ratio of brown to green
beetles changes as brown beetles are better suited to survive than green beetles.
This is how natural selection works and ensures that species which are more adapted to their surroundings
survive, while others become extinct.

Human Evolution:
Each human is unique and a result of 3.5 billion years of evolution on Earth. We are primates. Our ancestors
lived in the trees and many of our traits are adaptations to tree life – excellent hand-eye coordination, eyes in
front to measure depth, limber arms and dexterous hands.

ICY SCIENCE | QTR 2 SPRING 2014