Final answer:
The rock pocket mice, deer mice, field mice, hypothetical beetles, and peppered moths all illustrate how organisms adapt through natural selection to survive better in their specific environments, whether it be varying coloration or body size in response to predatory and environmental selective pressures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Adaptations and Natural Selection in Different Environments:
The adaptation of rock pocket mice living on dark volcanic rocks in Arizona can be explained by the principles of natural selection. Similarly, deer mice have evolved dark or light colors depending on whether they live on a dark forest floor or in lighter sand hills; this is a result of their adaptation to their respective environments to avoid predation. In the case of field mice and hypothetical beetle populations, body size and color adaptations respectively, demonstrate how populations can evolve due to selective pressures from the environment and predators. An excellent historical example of such selective pressures is the evolution of the peppered moth during the Industrial Revolution, where dark-colored moths became prevalent as they were better camouflaged against soot-covered trees.
Lizards on an island with no predators will likely develop protective adaptations such as camouflaged coloration, sharp spines, or toxins to defend against newly introduced predators. These examples all showcase how organisms can evolve features that help them better survive in their changing environments.