How does evolution by natural selection lead to new species?

Evolution by natural selection is like a game where the best players get to be on the team next year.

Imagine you have a big group of penguins living on an icy island. Some penguins are really good at swimming, they can catch fish quickly and stay warm in the cold water. Others aren’t as fast or strong. When food is scarce, the slower penguins might not get enough to eat and could die. The faster ones survive and have babies.

Now imagine this happens for many years. Each year, the fastest and strongest penguins live longer and have more babies. Their traits, like speed and strength, are passed down to their kids. Over time, the whole group of penguins starts to look and act differently from their ancestors.

After a long time, these new penguins might not be able to mix with the old ones anymore because they’re so different. They’ve become a new species, like a brand-new team in the game of life!

It’s just like how a group of kids playing tag can change over time, some run faster, others get tired quicker, and eventually, you might have two completely different groups of players.