LAC 28:CXXIII.2307. Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

A. Analyze and interpret scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence. B. Construct an explanation based on evidence that biological diversity is influenced by: 1. the potential for a species to increase in number; 2. the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction; 3. competition for limited resources; and 4. the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment. C. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that populations of organisms adapt when an advantageous heritable trait increases in proportion to organisms lacking this trait. D. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection and other mechanisms lead to genetic changes in populations. E. Evaluate evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions can affect the distribution of traits in a population causing: 1. increases in the number of individuals of some species; 2. the emergence of new species over time; and 3. the extinction of other species.