[Campbell Biology P.577] Which of the following best describes how natural selection would h... | Practice Question

Which of the following best describes how natural selection would have acted on early self-replicating RNA molecules within protocells, according to the provided text?

  • A: RNA molecules that could synthesize diverse proteins more efficiently would be favored.
  • B: RNA molecules that formed uniform helical structures, like DNA, would be selected for their stability.
  • C: RNA molecules with nucleotide sequences leading to shapes that replicate faster or with fewer errors would increase in proportion.
  • D: The most successful protocells were those that incorporated the largest amounts of environmental RNA without self-replication.

Explanation

The text explains: 'In a given environment, RNA molecules with certain nucleotide sequences may have shapes that enable them to replicate faster and with fewer errors than other sequences. The RNA molecule with the greatest ability to replicate itself will leave the most descendant molecules.' This directly describes how natural selection would favor RNA molecules with more efficient or accurate replication.