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[[File:Infant_Mortality_Rate_by_Region_1950-2050.png|thumb|Human evolution is attuned for a 100x higher selection pressure ruling out most deleterious mutations at young age]] | [[File:Infant_Mortality_Rate_by_Region_1950-2050.png|thumb|Human evolution is attuned for a ~100x higher selection pressure ruling out most deleterious mutations at young age]] | ||
A genetic '''mutation''' occurs when mistakes are made during copying/[[reproductive success|reproduction]] of genetic code. | A genetic '''mutation''' occurs when mistakes are made during copying/[[reproductive success|reproduction]] of genetic code. | ||
Mutations may be beneficial, neutral or deleterious (bad) for the organism. Around 95% of mutations have no significant immediate effect or are neutral, and most remaining ones are deleterious.<ref>http://www.cs.unc.edu/~plaisted/ce/genetics.html</ref><ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/mutations.html#Q1</ref> Mutations are unavoidable and they are necessary for evolution to work at all. Natural and [[sexual selection]] decide which phenotypes will be prevalent in future generations and which mutations will become fixed (meaning highly prevalent in the gene pool). | Mutations may be beneficial, neutral or deleterious (bad) for the organism. Around 95% of mutations have no significant immediate effect or are neutral, and most remaining ones are deleterious.<ref>http://www.cs.unc.edu/~plaisted/ce/genetics.html</ref><ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/mutations.html#Q1</ref> Mutations are unavoidable and they are necessary for evolution to work at all. Natural and [[sexual selection]] decide which phenotypes will be prevalent in future generations and which mutations will become fixed (meaning highly prevalent in the gene pool). | ||