Which of the following examples best illustrates the process of evolution by natural selection

English naturalist Charles Darwin developed the idea of natural selection after a five-year voyage to study plants, animals, and fossils in South America and on islands in the Pacific. In 1859, he brought the idea of natural selection to the attention of the world in his best-selling book, On the Origin of Species.

Natural selection is the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change. Individuals in a population are naturally variable, meaning that they are all different in some ways. This variation means that some individuals have traits better suited to the environment than others. Individuals with adaptive traits—traits that give them some advantage—are more likely to survive and reproduce. These individuals then pass the adaptive traits on to their offspring. Over time, these advantageous traits become more common in the population. Through this process of natural selection, favorable traits are transmitted through generations.

Natural selection can lead to speciation, where one species gives rise to a new and distinctly different species. It is one of the processes that drives evolution and helps to explain the diversity of life on Earth.

Darwin chose the name natural selection to contrast with “artificial selection,” or selective breeding that is controlled by humans. He pointed to the pastime of pigeon breeding, a popular hobby in his day, as an example of artificial selection. By choosing which pigeons mated with others, hobbyists created distinct pigeon breeds, with fancy feathers or acrobatic flight, that were different from wild pigeons.

Darwin and other scientists of his day argued that a process much like artificial selection happened in nature, without any human intervention. He argued that natural selection explained how a wide variety of life forms developed over time from a single common ancestor.

Darwin did not know that genes existed, but he could see that many traits are heritable—passed from parents to offspring.

Mutations are changes in the structure of the molecules that make up genes, called DNA. The mutation of genes is an important source of genetic variation within a population. Mutations can be random (for example, when replicating cells make an error while copying DNA), or happen as a result of exposure to something in the environment, like harmful chemicals or radiation.

Mutations can be harmful, neutral, or sometimes helpful, resulting in a new, advantageous trait. When mutations occur in germ cells (eggs and sperm), they can be passed on to offspring.

If the environment changes rapidly, some species may not be able to adapt fast enough through natural selection. Through studying the fossil record, we know that many of the organisms that once lived on Earth are now extinct. Dinosaurs are one example. An invasive species, a disease organism, a catastrophic environmental change, or a highly successful predator can all contribute to the extinction of species.

Today, human actions such as overhunting and the destruction of habitats are the main cause of extinctions. Extinctions seem to be occurring at a much faster rate today than they did in the past, as shown in the fossil record.

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1.  Charles Darwin was best known in the 19th century for: a) creating the idea of evolution b) creating the idea of uniformitarianism c) making the idea of evolution acceptable for scientists and the educated general public d) all of the above   2.  Charles Darwin's ideas concerning the causes of evolution were probably formulated in his mind: a) while he was still a student at Cambridge University b) before he began his voyage of exploration around the world on H.M.S. Beagle c) during his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, especially after he reached the Gal�pagos Islands d) during the late 1880's 3.  Charles Darwin concluded that the 13 species of finches on the Gal�pagos Islands: a) were identical to 13 finch species in northwestern South America 600 miles to the east b) probably evolved from one ancestral South American species c) had all adapted to the same food sources d) B and C 4.  Through careful observation, Charles Darwin came to understand that:       a) populations of plants and animals in nature most often consist of individuals that are clones of each other b) those individuals whose variation gives them an advantage in staying alive long enough to reproduce are more likely to pass their traits on to the next generation c) populations of a species that become isolated from others by adapting to different environmental niches quickly become extinct d) all of the above 5.  Which of the following statements is true about Charles Darwin?       a) He believed that evolution was due to the inheritance of acquired characteristics. b) He supported Lamarck's explanation of how evolution occurred. c) He understood that the variation that exists in natural populations of plants or animals is the result of repeated mutations. d) none of the above 6.  The example of the peppered moths living near English industrial cities demonstrates that: a) a change in an environment can result in the evolution of species living there b) evolution occurs so slowly that it is not possible to determine that it has happened in less than a million years c) the environment near these cities has always favored dark colored moths 7.  The theory of evolution by natural selection was independently developed by: a) Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin b) Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace c) Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck d) Charles Lyell and James Hutton 8.  Which of the following statements about Darwin is true? a) He failed to convince the majority of biologists and other educated people in the late 19th century that life evolves. b) He thought that the biggest and strongest animals are always at an advantage in natural selection. c) His book On the Origin of Species did not sell well and the biologists in his time did not take much notice of it. d) none of the above 9.  Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution by natural selection failed to explain how: a) nature operates to reduce variation in a population every generation b) new genetic varieties can appear in a population every generation c) neither of the above 10.  The evolution of one species into two or more species as a result of different populations becoming reproductively isolated from each other is: a) adaptive radiation b) creationism c) photosynthesis 11.  Boucher de Perthes is known for discovering something in northern France during the 1830's. What was it? a) a partial Neandertal skeleton b) prehistoric stone tools c) the major cause of biological evolution d) none of the above 12.  Which of the following ideas was developed by Thomas Malthus? a) Peppered moths living near English industrial cities provide a good example of evolution. b) The diversity of Gal�pagos finch species is the result of natural selection. c) Living things often produce far more offspring than are needed to maintain their numbers.

What is an example of evolution by natural selection?

Which of the following best illustrates the process of natural selection?

What is the process of evolution by natural selection?

What are 4 examples of natural selection?