Which of the following statements comes closest to describing the principle central to Darwin's idea of natural selection?
A) Individuals within a species vary, and those with the best adapted characteristics survive to reproduce, thereby passing their genes to future generations.
B) Nature selects the particular individuals that have the best characteristics and these individuals are allowed to interbreed with each other, thereby creating the strongest offspring.
C) People prefer to mate with the most attractive members of the opposite sex, selecting their mates according to natural factors related to physical attractiveness.
D) Humans evolved from the apes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Darwin's principle of natural selection is based on the idea that within a population of a species, there is variation in traits. Some traits may be advantageous, allowing individuals with those traits to survive and reproduce more successfully. Over time, these advantageous traits become more common in the population, leading to evolution. This process is driven by natural selection, whereby the environment selects the individuals with the best adapted characteristics.

Which of the Following Statements Comes Closest to Describing the Principle