If natural selection has no foresight, how can it explain features that seem to prepare organisms for future events? for example, deciduous trees at high latitudes drop their leaves before winter arrives, male birds establish territories before females arrive in the spring, and animals such as squirrels and jays store food as winter approach

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Nathalie Strickland

Biology

30 December, 01:04

If natural selection has no foresight, how can it explain features that seem to prepare organisms for future events? for example, deciduous trees at high latitudes drop their leaves before winter arrives, male birds establish territories before females arrive in the spring, and animals such as squirrels and jays store food as winter approach

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Cristina Whitney · Answer 1

The genes in a population give forth the genetic variability across a population (genotypes). In addition, occasional mutations of these genes in a population increase this genetic variability. Hovever, natural selection only favours reproduction of individuals with genes that are favourable in the environment/habitat. Therefore, natural selection has no foresight but is rather pegged on being an ‘opportunistic’ process.