Loss of Biodiversity (Natural Causes)

Loss of Biodiversity (Natural Causes)

Species arise through processes of mutation, isolation, and natural selection. Evolution
can proceed gradually over millions of years or may occur in large jumps when new organisms migrate into an area or when environmental conditions change rapidly. In a sense, species that are replaced by their descendants are not completely lost. The much larger modern horse, for instance, has replaced the tiny Hypohippus, but most of its genes probably still survive in its distant offspring.