Question

Over evolutionary time, many cave-dwelling organisms have lost their eyes. Tapeworms have lost their digestive systems. Whales have lost their hind limbs. How can natural selection account for these losses?A. Natural selection cannot account for losses, only for innovationsB. It can account for these losses by the principle of use and disuseC. Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, each of these structures presented greater costs than benefitsD. These organisms had the misfortune to experience harmful mutations, which caused the loss of these structures over a few generations

Answer 1

C. Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, each of these structures presented greater costs than benefits

Step-by-step explanation:

Natural selection is evolutionary mechanism which favors traits (structures, behavior) of an organism that help him survive and reproduce. But, when there are some structures of an organism that are useless, selective pressure acts against them. Structures that don't contribute to an organism’s survival and reproduction, but are not directly harmful will take long time to be eliminated.