Difficulty: Hard

Average Score: 0%

Which of the following statements best describes the theory of natural selection?

Rationale

Organisms with favorable genetic traits have a greater chance of surviving and producing offspring.

This statement encapsulates the core principle of natural selection, which posits that individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive in their environment and reproduce, thereby passing those traits to future generations.

A (Organisms that are the strongest and largest live longer and reproduce more.) YOUR ANSWER

While strength and size can be beneficial traits, natural selection is not solely based on these characteristics. It emphasizes the survival and reproduction of individuals with traits best suited to their specific environment, which may not always correlate with size or strength.

B (Humans select the organisms that they find most beneficial and breed them.) YOUR ANSWER

This statement describes artificial selection rather than natural selection. In artificial selection, humans intentionally choose specific traits in organisms for breeding purposes, while natural selection occurs through environmental pressures without human intervention.

C (Organisms with favorable genetic traits have a greater chance of surviving and producing offspring.) CORRECT

This accurately describes natural selection, as it highlights the process by which advantageous traits increase an organism's fitness, leading to higher survival rates and reproduction, thus ensuring the propagation of those traits in future generations.

D (Organisms that acquire beneficial traits during their lifetime pass them on to their offspring.) YOUR ANSWER

This statement reflects a misunderstanding of genetic inheritance; traits acquired during an organism's lifetime are not typically passed to offspring. Natural selection acts on heritable traits that are genetically encoded, not on traits developed through personal experience.

Conclusion

Natural selection is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology, emphasizing that individuals with heritable advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. Among the provided statements, only option C accurately reflects this principle, distinguishing it from concepts like artificial selection and the inheritance of acquired characteristics, which do not align with the mechanisms of evolution as described by Darwin. Understanding this theory is crucial for grasping how species adapt and evolve over time.

Related Questions

View all