Question

Which is NOT one of the three conditions that must be met for evolution by natural selection to take place?

A) variation in phenotypic traits must exist in the population
B) differences in phenotype influence the probability of survival of reproduction
C) one extreme of the phenotype leads to greater survival
D) differences in phenotypic traits must be at least partially heritable
E) all of the above are necessary for evolution by natural selection

Answer 1

Differences in phenotypic traits must be at least partially heritable for evolution by natural selection to take place.

Step-by-step explanation:

One of the three conditions that must be met for evolution by natural selection to take place is that differences in phenotypic traits must be at least partially heritable. This means that the traits must have a genetic basis and can be passed down from one generation to the next. The other two conditions that must be met for evolution by natural selection are that variation in phenotypic traits must exist in the population and differences in phenotype influence the probability of survival or reproduction. These conditions together allow for natural selection to act on the traits within a population, favoring those that increase fitness and leading to evolutionary change over time.