Final answer:
Evolution cannot predict future environments but selects for traits beneficial in the current environment, so the statement is true. Evolution acts on existing genetic variations, and while mutations are random, natural selection is a non-random process that improves a population's adaptation to its environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that evolution cannot anticipate the future and produces changes in populations based on past environments, not future environments is indeed true. Evolution through natural selection is not a forward-looking process; it cannot predict or prepare for future conditions. Instead, it selects for traits that are beneficial in the current environment. These traits persisted because they were advantageous to those who possessed them, who subsequently had more offspring. This process results in populations that are better suited to their environments, but it is based solely on existing genetic variation and the environmental pressures of the past and present. It's crucial to clarify that individual organisms do not evolve; evolution refers to changes in the genetic makeup of a population over time. Moreover, evolution is not a goal-driven or intentional process. The genetic changes that may lead to adaptations in a population occur through random mutations. Natural selection then acts on these changes, depending on whether they confer an advantage or disadvantage in the given environment.
A couple of common misconceptions include the idea that evolution is a random process or that it produces individuals that are perfectly fit for their environment. While the mutations that lead to genetic variability are random, the process of natural selection itself is not random—it favors traits that improve survival and reproductive success. It does not, however, produce perfect organisms, only those that are better adapted compared to other variations within the population. Furthermore, not all populations that undergo evolutionary change emerge successfully adapted to new environments. Some fail to adapt and may eventually face extinction. This demonstrates the constraints of evolution and the challenges posed by changing environments.