Concept explainers
Which of the following is not an observation or inference on which natural selection is based?
- A. There is heritable variation among individuals.
- B. Poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring.
- C. Species produce more offspring than the environment can support.
- D. Only a fraction of an individual's offspring may survive.
Introduction:
Natural selection is an important process that leads to evolutionary changes. In this process, nature selects species that have a great survival ability in the environment and produces a high number of offspring. Natural selection is discovered by Charles Darwin. The mechanism of natural selection is based on the survival and reproductive success of the species.
Answer to Problem 1TYU
Correct answer:
Natural selection is not based on the statement “poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring”. Therefore, option (B) is correct.
Explanation of Solution
Reason for the correct statement:
Natural selection is a mechanism in which nature selects species that have a better survival ability or fittest to the environment and produce more numbers of offspring.
Option (B) is given as “Poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring”.
As the natural selection is not based on “poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring”, it is the right answer.
Hence, option (B) is correct.
Reasons for the incorrect statements:
Option (A) is given as “There is heritable variation among individuals”.
Natural selection is a key step in the evolution. The individuals having heritable variations fit to the environment and are selected. Hence, it is the wrong answer.
Option (C) is given as “Species produce more offspring than the environment can support”.
Nature selects the individual that produces a high number of offspring. Hence, it is the wrong answer.
Option (D) is given as “Only a fraction of an individual’s offspring may survive”.
Nature selects individuals who fit to the environment, only a fraction of an individual’s offspring fits to the environment. Hence, it is the wrong answer.
Hence, options (A), (C) and (D) are incorrect.
Natural selection is not based on an observation denoting “poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring”.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 19 Solutions
Campbell Biology In Focus, Loose-leaf Edition (3rd Edition)
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues
Concepts of Genetics (11th Edition)
BIOLOGY:THE ESSENTIALS (LL) W/CONNECT
HUMAN ANATOMY
Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues (8th Edition)
Microbiology: An Introduction (13th Edition)
- Which of the following statements does NOT agree with the tenets of Darwin's theory of evolution by means of natural selection? O A. The phenotypes of individuals in a population will differ and, in some cases, these differences are the result of traits passed down from parent to offspring. B. Phenotypes become more common over time if individuals with those phenotypes have higher reproductive success. O C. The fitness of an individual with a particular phenotype is independent of the environmental conditions it experiences. O D. Resources limit the total number of individuals in a population.arrow_forwardWhat is meant by the following statement? "When mutation is random, natural selection is not." Mark all correct answers Group of answer choices A. A mutation is caused by changes in the environment. B. Natural selection can favor some mutations and not others. C.Mutations for advantageous traits are more likely to be passed on to the next generation. D.Selection can change depending on the environment.arrow_forwardAlfred Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin argued that evolution by means of natural selection involves all of the following steps except: a. variation is present in all species b. species can produce more offspring than the environment can sustain c. all individuals within a species have equal chances to improve their fitness d. those individuals that are more fit will survive and reproduce in the greatest numbers e. over time, the species will evolve as the more fit individuals replace the less fit individualsarrow_forward
- Which of the following situations will lead to natural selection? a. The seeds of two plants land near each other and one grows larger than the other. b. Two types of fish eat the same kind of food, and one is better able to gather food than the other. c. Male lions compete for the right to mate with females, with only one possible winner. d. all of the abovearrow_forwardIndicate whether each of the following statements about natural selection is true (T) or false (F). Put either a T or an F in each box provided. a. Natural selection alters a population's gene pool b. Natural selection creates new alleles which increase the reproductive success of their owners c. Natural selection favors traits which it anticipates will be beneficial to a species in the future d. Natural selection can at times be observed in nature over the course of just a few decades e. Natural selection acts directly on an individual's phenotypearrow_forwardIn Darwin's theory of natural selection, which of the following is a source of evolution: a.Individuals who do not vary from their progenitors. b.Intelligent and purposeful design. c.Individuals with random mutations who are able to reproduce. d.Individuals with random mutations who die without reproducing.arrow_forward
- Which aspect(s) of natural selection is(are) illustrated by the figure below? Check ALL answers that apply. A. Variation among individuals must be genetically transmissible to the next generation. B. Variation must exist in a population. C. Variation among individuals leads to differences in lifetime reproductive success. D. More individuals are produced each generation than the environment can support, resulting in competition for survival.arrow_forwardWhich of the following statements about natural selection is a misconception? a.Most species don't produce more offspring than the environment can support b.Natural selection acts on heritable variations in a population c.Natural selection involves differential reproductive success d.Natural selection occurs as a result of competition among individuals in a population e.In natural selection, traits that are favoured depend on current environmental conditionsarrow_forwardNatural selection works on a. individuals. b. genes. c. populations. d. species. harrow_forward
- Which statement is correct, based on current evolutionary theory? a. Selection will favor alleles only if they are good for the species. b. Selection will favor alleles only if, on average, they increase the reproductive success of individuals who have them. c. In small populations genetic drift can be more effective than natural selection in building adaptations. d. Selection sometimes favors alleles that systematically lower the reproductive success of the individuals who have them. e. Two of the above are correct.arrow_forwardAs a mechanism of evolution, natural selection can be most closely equated with a. random mating. b. genetic drift. c. unequal reproductive success. d. gene flow.arrow_forwardWhich of the following is the best description of sexual selection? a. Sexual selection is the differential reproductive success due to variation in acquiring immunity from mates. b. Sexual selection is the differential reproductive success due to variation in survival from social selection. c. Sexual selection is the differential reproductive success due to variation in acquiring mates or mating success. d. Sexual selection is the differential survival success due to variation in avoiding mates or mating success.arrow_forward
- Concepts of BiologyBiologyISBN:9781938168116Author:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James WisePublisher:OpenStax CollegeBiology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781337392938Author:Eldra Solomon, Charles Martin, Diana W. Martin, Linda R. BergPublisher:Cengage Learning