Natural selection within a species occurs when advantageous genetic mutations are passed on to the next generation. Which of the following is the best explanation for why this happens?Individuals with the mutation can escape predators more easilyThe mutation can be passed from individual to individual by pathogensMutations cause changes in the environment that make breeding more successfulIndividuals with the mutation are more likely to survive and breed successfully
Question
Natural selection within a species occurs when advantageous genetic mutations are passed on to the next generation. Which of the following is the best explanation for why this happens?Individuals with the mutation can escape predators more easilyThe mutation can be passed from individual to individual by pathogensMutations cause changes in the environment that make breeding more successfulIndividuals with the mutation are more likely to survive and breed successfully
Solution
The best explanation for why advantageous genetic mutations are passed on to the next generation through natural selection is: "Individuals with the mutation are more likely to survive and breed successfully."
Here's why:
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Natural selection is a process where organisms with traits that better enable them to adapt to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more offspring. This is also known as "survival of the fittest."
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When a beneficial mutation occurs, it can give an individual an advantage over others in its environment. For example, it might make them more resistant to a certain disease, or allow them to better utilize a resource.
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If this individual survives and reproduces, it will pass this advantageous trait onto its offspring. Over time, the mutation can spread throughout the population as those with the mutation have more offspring that survive to reproduce themselves.
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This process can lead to changes within the species over time, as traits that enhance survival and reproduction become more common. This is the essence of evolution by natural selection.
The other options provided do not accurately describe the process of natural selection. While escaping predators more easily could be a result of a beneficial mutation, it's not the reason why the mutation is passed on. Mutations cannot be passed from individual to individual by pathogens, and mutations do not cause changes in the environment that make breeding more successful. Rather, they allow individuals to better adapt to their environment, increasing their chances of successful breeding.
Similar Questions
Natural selection occurs whenMultiple Choicewhen a small number of individuals of a population break away and form a new population.a factor in the environment alters the genetic information in DNA of all members of a species.only when nonrandom mating occurs.a new genetic variation occurs that allows individuals to have a reproductive and survival advantage.
Match the mechanism of natural selection with its corresponding description.the process by which individuals with advantageous traits have higher chances of survival and reproductionthe mechanism that allows genetic information to be passed down from parents to offspringthe period over which changes accumulate, leading to the emergence of new traits and the extinction of othersthe diverse range of traits exhibited among individuals within a populationthe outcome of natural selection, where populations become better adapted to their specific environmentsa.adaptationb.selectionc.timed.variatione.inheritance
Darwin noted that natural selection occurs becauseMultiple choice question.the sick and weak individuals in a population pass on their traits at the same rate as the healthy.adaptive traits that are heritable can pass to offspring and increase their survival and reproduction.an individual can adapt their behavior or morphology in their lifetime and pass the adaptation on to their offspring.resources are so abundant in a population that competition is not a part of natural systems.
MULTIPLE CHOICEWhich of the following best describes natural selection?A the process by which organisms adapt to their environment through mutationsB the mechanism of beneficial traits in a population being passed to offspringC the deliberate selection of desirable traits in domesticated animals by humansD the random change in common traits within a population over time
Which of the following is natural selection?When a pregnancy is terminatedWhen humans adapt to their environment, e.g. by wearing clothes for warmthWhen a mutation in an organism that makes it better suited to its environment is passed on to the next generationWhen animals or plants are bred by humans to produce desired characteristics
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