Question

How do mutations cause evolution?

Answer 1

A mutation is a change that occurs in our DNA sequence on chromosomes, either due to mistakes when the DNA is copied or as the result of various environmental factors such as UV light, cigarette smoke etc.

Complete answer:
Mutations generally fall into two types namely point mutations and chromosomal aberrations. In point mutations, one base pair is changed whereas chromosomal aberrations are larger-scale mutations that can occur during meiosis in unequal crossing-over events, slippage during DNA recombination or due to the activities of transposable events. Genes and even whole chromosomes can be substituted, duplicated, or deleted due to these errors and make a permanent change in DNA sequence.

Mutations are essential to evolution thus every genetic feature in every organism was, initially, the result of a mutation. The new genetic variant called alleles spreads via reproduction, and differential reproduction is a defining aspect of evolution. Mutations help the organism to survive the changing environment and as per darwin, only those are selected by nature which is fit i.e organism that acquires mutations and evolves the changing conditions therefore it is easy to understand how a mutation allows an organism to feed, grow or reproduce more effectively could cause the mutant allele to become more abundant over time.

Soon the population may be quite ecologically and/or physiologically different from the original population that lacked the adaptation. Thus. Mutations Cause Evolution.

Even deleterious mutations can cause evolutionary change, especially in small populations, by removing individuals that might be carrying adaptive alleles at other genes.

Note: Even deleterious mutations can cause evolutionary change, especially in small populations, by removing individuals that might be carrying adaptive alleles at other genes. Therefore mutations can be good at the time or bad in some other situation.