WHY IS VARIATION ESSENTIAL FOR SPECIES BUT NOT FOR INDIVIDUAL?
Answers
Answer:
Species occupy well-defined spaces in the ecosystem, called niches, by increasing their population through reproduction.
These niches in the ecosystem may change upon time, even drastically, which are not in control of these organisms occupying the space.
The changes, such as an increase in temperature, may cause a threat to the survival of the species in that niche.
If the species have variations within the population, some of the variants might be able to cope with the change, thus having a survival advantage.
Thus, these variants will survive, leaving behind the individuals in the population with no desirable variation.
Thus, these variants help in the survival of species. But, not all variations are beneficial for individual organisms.
Answer:Variations can be beneficial or harmful according to the ecological niche of the organism. A variation suitable for the particular niche is selected by nature in evolution. Thus variations are necessary for the survival of the species. Variation is important for evolution of the species.
E.g.: A population of heat resistant bacteria in temperature of the water survives, if the temperature of water increases by global warming but most other bacteria would die.
Explanation: