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Mutations have the potential to modify the nucleotides of existing genes. They can occur in various ways, including substitutions, insertions, and deletions of nucleotides. In a substitution mutation, one nucleotide is replaced with another. For example, an A might be changed to a G. In an insertion mutation, one or more nucleotides are added to the DNA sequence. In a deletion mutation, one or more nucleotides are removed from the DNA sequence. The change of one or more nucleotides may change the shape of the protein it is responsible for programming if the nucleotide is found on the first or second position of the codon. Not all mutations lead to desirable effects thought; in fact, in most cases, they lead to genetic disorders or increase the risk of developing certain diseases. In the case of Darwin's finches, natural selection lead to some bird populations having larger beaks than others, depending on the location and food source that was present over time. Arguably, mutations may have caused minor changes in beak size or shape, and these alleles likely already existed in the bird's original population. Individuals with advantageous beak traits that allowed them to efficiently obtain food had a higher chance of survival and reproductive success, leading to the passing on of these traits to future generations. Eventually, over numerous generations, the two separated populations started showing distinct differences in their appearances, where one group had large beaks and the other group had smaller beaks.
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