[Campbell Biology P.536] Which of the following statements most accurately describes the pro... | Practice Question

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the process of evolution as discussed in the text?

  • A: Individuals evolve by changing their traits during their lifetime.
  • B: Populations evolve as the proportion of traits changes over generations.
  • C: Only species, not individuals or populations, can evolve.
  • D: Evolution is a process that only occurs over millions of years and cannot be observed in short timescales.

Explanation

The text emphasizes that while natural selection acts on individuals, evolution is a change in the genetic composition of a population over generations. The finch example clearly illustrates this, showing that individual finches did not evolve, but the proportion of large beaks in the population increased over generations.