Heritable Variation in a Population Variation Within

Heritable Variation in a Population

Variation within the realm of natural selection is the cornerstone of a healthy population with the ability to adapt to a given environment. Indeed, the reality is that natural selection and evolution are sciences of variation and inheritance.

Variations known as heritable variations are those which are passed on from one generation of a population to the next. It is important for these variations to remain intact between generations because certain elements within a given organism may have made a positive change which allows the creature to live more comfortably in its environment. As these positive changes are passed down through the generations they become more of a staple of the population and less of a mutation. This is the basis for evolution.

In human beings, research shows that populations which developed in warm climates tend to be taller while populations which developed in cool climates tend to be shorter. This makes sense as the taller body provides more surface area allowing body heat to dissipate more readily. The shorter body in the cool climate also makes sense. A smaller person has less body to warm than a taller person. Each of these characteristics were developed over many generations through variations which allowed for positive adaptations in the given environment. Those who did not develop these variations tended to be "less fit" in the "survival of the fittest," and thus they were less likely to mate and ultimately pass down their weakness in the given environment. Those who were lucky enough to have this variation in their genetic makeup were more likely to survive and pass on their strength to the next generation through heritable variation.