• Question: How did Fishes evolve into bigger sea creatures like sharks and whales

    Asked by DOCB to Lauren on 11 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Lauren Laing

      Lauren Laing answered on 11 Mar 2016:

      I think you are referring to evolution:

      – It is possible for the DNA of an organism to occasionally change, scientists call this mutations.

      – The change brought about by a mutation is either beneficial, harmful or neutral.
      If the change is harmful, then it is unlikely that the offspring will survive to reproduce, so the mutation dies out and goes nowhere.
      If the change is beneficial, then it is likely that the offspring will do better than other offspring and so will reproduce more.

      – As mutations occur and spread over long periods of time, they cause new species to form.

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