For natural selection to work on a particular population
A) their members must have a sufficiently long life span.
B) the environment must remain constant.
C) there must be a strong will to survive among the members of the population.
D) there must be variety within that population.
E) there must be genotypic diversity but phenotypic homogeneity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Natural selection relies on variation within a population for certain traits to be favored and passed on to future generations. Without variety, there is no mechanism for selection to act upon. A long lifespan (A) or a constant environment (B) do not necessarily impact natural selection, and the concept of a "strong will to survive" (C) is not a factor in the scientific understanding of natural selection. Phenotypic homogeneity (E) would mean that there is no visible variation within the population, which goes against the requirement for selection to occur. Therefore, the best choice is D - there must be variety within that population.

For Natural Selection to Work on a Particular Population