Why is variation beneficial to the species but not necessarily for the individual.
Answers
The variation is important and beneficial for species as it allows a species to adapt to a changing environment.
For example, climate change can force a species to shift its range to poleward or to higher altitudes.
Only those who adopt the changes can survive in harsher conditions by adapting to the changes.
For an individual, the variation doesn't matter in most of the conditions.
Take the example of we humans, if a climate change happens, we can shed our clothes and our body will help us control the temperature, and if the environment gets colder, we can wear more clothes to protect us.
However, in conditions like any new virus or bacteria attack which is harmful to humans, our body has to adapt according to this scenario or we will perish.
♤ A species include large no. Of individuals of same kind. All the organisms of a species have similar body design and well adapted to the place.
♤ If there is a variation arise from the individual it might not be beneficial to it, even this variation may lead to the death of the individual.
♤ but the variation may be beneficial if the species faces a drastically altered condition.
♤ In this condition the population may wiped out completely but of some variation are there few individual can survive and thus variation is beneficial for the species.