The process of natural selection selects for favourable variation and directly leads to?

The process of natural selection selects for favourable variation and directly leads to?

• A. Speciation
• B. Genetic drift
• C. The adaptation of species to their environments
• D. Random mutation

Answer: (C)

Natural selection acts on heritable variation, favoring traits that increase survival and reproductive success. As these advantageous traits become more common over generations, the population shifts toward forms that are better suited to that environment. This is adaptation—the population becomes more fit for its surroundings. Speciation can occur later if separated groups diverge enough, but it’s not the direct outcome of selection itself. Genetic drift is random fluctuation in allele frequencies, not driven by fitness, and new mutations arise independently of selection. So the immediate result of natural selection is the adaptation of the population to its environment.

Natural selection acts on heritable variation, favoring traits that increase survival and reproductive success. As these advantageous traits become more common over generations, the population shifts toward forms that are better suited to that environment. This is adaptation—the population becomes more fit for its surroundings. Speciation can occur later if separated groups diverge enough, but it’s not the direct outcome of selection itself. Genetic drift is random fluctuation in allele frequencies, not driven by fitness, and new mutations arise independently of selection. So the immediate result of natural selection is the adaptation of the population to its environment.