Question

Adaptations a. are features of an organism that hinder its performance in its environment. b. are not common. c. result from natural selection. d. result from genetic drift.

Short answer

Option C: Adaptations result from natural selection.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Adaptations

Adaptations are features that improve an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Analyzing Each Option

Review each option to determine which correctly describes adaptations.

Evaluate Option A

Option A states adaptations hinder performance. This is incorrect because adaptations help organisms.

Evaluate Option B

Option B states adaptations are not common. This is incorrect as adaptations are quite common and essential for survival.

Evaluate Option C

Option C states adaptations result from natural selection. This is correct as natural selection drives evolutionary changes, leading to adaptations.

Evaluate Option D

Option D states adaptations result from genetic drift, which is less impactful in leading to widespread adaptive traits compared to natural selection.

Conclusion

The correct answer is the option that accurately reflects the role of adaptations in evolution.

Key concepts

Natural Selection

Natural selection is a core mechanism of evolution. It works like a sieve, filtering traits that enhance survival and reproduction. Imagine a scenario where birds with longer beaks can access more food. These birds are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing their long-beaked trait to the next generation.
Over time, this trait becomes common within the population.
Natural selection relies upon:

• Variation: Differences exist within a population.
• Inheritance: Traits can be passed down from parent to offspring.
• Selection: Some traits offer advantages for survival and reproduction.
• Time: These advantageous traits become common over many generations.

Through this process, populations adapt to their environments, leading to the diverse life forms we see today.

Evolutionary Biology

Evolutionary biology is the study of how living organisms evolve over time via mechanisms like natural selection and genetic drift. It provides a framework for understanding the diversity of life.
This field covers topics such as:

• Speciation: How new species arise.
• Phylogeny: The evolutionary relationships among species.
• Adaptation: How organisms become better suited to their environments.

Adaptations emerge as organisms with beneficial traits outcompete others for resources, leading to gradual changes in the species.
The theory of evolution, initially proposed by Charles Darwin, is foundational to this field, explaining how complex traits and behaviors evolve.

Genetic Drift

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that involves random changes in allele frequencies within a population. Unlike natural selection, these changes are not due to the traits providing any survival advantage.
Key aspects include:

• Random Sampling: In each generation, allele frequencies fluctuate purely by chance.
• Small Populations: Effects are more pronounced in smaller populations.
• Bottlenecks: Events that drastically reduce population size can lead to significant genetic drift.
• Founder Effect: When a small group splits off to form a new population, resulting in different allele frequencies from the original group.

While genetic drift can lead to changes in a population, it's less likely than natural selection to result in beneficial adaptations.
It can, however, increase genetic variation or even fix harmful alleles purely by chance.

Survival and Reproduction

Survival and reproduction are essential to an organism's evolutionary success. The primary goal is to pass genes to the next generation.
Key points include:

• Fitness: An organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.
• Selective Pressure: Environmental factors that influence reproductive success.
• Reproductive Strategies: Ways organisms ensure their genes are passed on (e.g., producing many offspring or investing heavily in a few).

Traits that aid survival and reproduction become more prevalent over time as they contribute to evolutionary fitness.
For example, a faster prey animal might avoid predators more effectively, leading to more opportunities to reproduce and pass on its speedy genes to offspring.