[Campbell Biology P.525] Which of the following statements best describes a key feature of n... | Practice Question

Which of the following statements best describes a key feature of natural selection according to the text?

  • A: Individuals adapt to their environment within their lifetime, leading to evolution.
  • B: Natural selection can only increase the frequency of adaptations that are favorable in all environments.
  • C: Over time, natural selection causes individuals with certain heritable traits to survive and reproduce at a higher rate, increasing the frequency of those traits in the population.
  • D: Evolution by natural selection occurs most rapidly when all individuals in a population are genetically identical for a heritable trait.

Explanation

The first two bullet points under 'Key Features of Natural Selection' directly support option C. Natural selection is a process where individuals with advantageous heritable traits survive and reproduce at a higher rate, leading to an increase in the frequency of those traits in the population over time. The text explicitly states 'individuals do not evolve' and that natural selection requires 'heritable traits that differ' among individuals.