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Many 19th century scientists believed that natural selection always favored an optimal form, and therefore would tend to reduce or eliminate Blank______.Multiple choice question.genetic variationpopulation geneticsheterozygositygenetic equilibrium

Question

Many 19th century scientists believed that natural selection always favored an optimal form, and therefore would tend to reduce or eliminate Blank______.Multiple choice question.genetic variationpopulation geneticsheterozygositygenetic equilibrium

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Solution

The correct answer is "genetic variation".

Here's why:

  1. Natural selection is a process where organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. This is often referred to as "survival of the fittest".

  2. The idea that natural selection always favored an optimal form suggests that those organisms with traits best suited to their environment would be the ones to survive and reproduce. This would, over time, lead to a predominance of these optimal traits within the population.

  3. If this process were to reduce or eliminate something, it would be genetic variation. Genetic variation is the diversity in the genetic makeup among individuals within a species. It's the raw material for natural selection to act upon.

  4. Without genetic variation, all individuals of a species would be essentially identical. In such a scenario, natural selection would have nothing to select from, and evolution could not occur.

This problem has been solved

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