What were the three key observations made by Darwin that allowed him to deduce that natural selection is a primary driver of evolution?Group of answer choicesSpecies change due to the next generation inheriting genes based on their parent's behaviors.Gene flow and mutations provide the right changes for future generations to thrive.Organisms produce more offspring than survive, variation exists among individuals, and advantageous variations increase in relative frequency over time.The number of adults tends to remain the same over time, individuals vary little over time, and natural selection works on only the best of those adults in each generation.
Question
What were the three key observations made by Darwin that allowed him to deduce that natural selection is a primary driver of evolution?Group of answer choicesSpecies change due to the next generation inheriting genes based on their parent's behaviors.Gene flow and mutations provide the right changes for future generations to thrive.Organisms produce more offspring than survive, variation exists among individuals, and advantageous variations increase in relative frequency over time.The number of adults tends to remain the same over time, individuals vary little over time, and natural selection works on only the best of those adults in each generation.
Solution
The three key observations made by Darwin that allowed him to deduce that natural selection is a primary driver of evolution are:
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Organisms produce more offspring than can survive. This leads to a struggle for survival, with only a fraction of offspring surviving to adulthood.
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There is variation among individuals within a species. These variations can be in size, color, ability to find food, resistance to disease, and other traits.
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These advantageous variations, or adaptations, increase in relative frequency over time because they enable the individuals possessing them to survive and reproduce more successfully than those without them. This process is known as natural selection.
So, the correct answer is: "Organisms produce more offspring than survive, variation exists among individuals, and advantageous variations increase in relative frequency over time."
Similar Questions
How did Darwin explain the process of natural selection?a. Traits acquired during an organism's lifetime are passed on to offspringb. Individuals with unfavorable traits are more likely to survivec. Offspring inherit helpful traits that lead to better adaptationd. Overproduction of offspring ensures survival of the species
In his book On the Origin of the Species, Charles Darwin described how species change over time. Which of the following is NOT part of his observations that describes the mechanisms of natural selection? Group of answer choicesDisease and natural disaster will limit population growth.Species today descended with modifications from ancestral species.Organisms produce more offspring than can survive.Organisms with advantages will survive and reproduce.
Select observations and inferences that Charles Darwin made in support of natural selection.Multiple select question.There is competition among individuals for limited resources.Some individuals survive due to their inherited characteristics, making them more likely to reproduce.Organisms are varied and some variations are inherited.Natural selection can change the characteristics of a population over many generations.Individuals in a population share all of the same characteristics; thus, no variation can occur in future generations.More individuals are born than can survive to reproduce.Resources are usually available in unlimited supply.
Because he was well aware of the effect his theory of evolution would have on the public and on the Church of England, Darwin delayed publishing his work for several decades while he gathered additional evidence. After invoking selective breeding of domesticated species as evidence that groups of organisms are capable of change, he then proposed that natural populations can change as well. On which two lines of evidence did he base this proposal?Group of answer choicesOrganisms within a population vary, and all populations produce more offspring than can be supported by the environment, resulting in competition for survival within the population.Organisms produce more offspring than can be supported by their environment, and adaptations to specific environments increase an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.Some individuals leave more descendants than other individuals, but the individuals in a population are essentially identical to each other.Some individuals within a population have greater survivability and reproductive success than others, and favorable traits within a population will accumulate over generations. PreviousNext
Darwin's development of natural selection was influenced by the writings of the economist Thomas Malthus, who noted thatGroup of answer choicesspecies change as their environment changes.there is a great deal of variation in nature.many organisms will not survive to adulthood.economic competition is analogous to survival of the fittest.
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