Final answer:
The best statement describing why competition is a constant pressure in natural selection is 'D. All of the above'. Sustained by variability in traits, competition for limited resources, and the overproduction of offspring, competition ensures only the fittest survive and reproduce. This ongoing evolutionary race is encapsulated by the Red Queen Hypothesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Competition is indeed a constant pressure in natural selection. The statement that best describes why competition is a constant pressure is D. All of the above. This is because competition arises due to the variability of traits among individuals (A), the competition for limited resources (B), and because more offspring are produced than can survive (C).
Competition for limited resources such as food, water, and mates means that only those individuals who are best adapted to their environment will survive and have the chance to reproduce. This leads to the traits of the fittest individuals becoming more prevalent in the population over time. However, due to the constant introduction of genetic variation via mutation, sexual reproduction, gene flow, and genetic drift, as well as the changing environment, species must continually adapt to maintain their fitness relative to others in the ecosystem.
This dynamic state of flux is aptly described by the Red Queen Hypothesis, which posits that organisms must constantly adapt, evolve, and proliferate not merely to gain reproductive advantage, but also simply to survive in the face of competition and other evolutionary pressures.