Final answer:
The argument from design is countered by the concept of natural selection working on random mutations, thus the correct answer is C. mutation/selection. Mutation is random, but natural selection is a non-random process that increases organisms' adaptation over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The creationist "argument from design" posits that complex structures cannot arise by chance, suggesting a need for an intelligent designer. This argument is countered by the understanding that while the generation of genetic variation through mutation is indeed a random process, the subsequent process of natural selection is not. Natural selection is the mechanism by which certain traits become more prevalent in a population because they confer some advantage that increases the likelihood of survival and reproduction. Therefore, the correct answer is C. mutation/selection.
Natural selection is a directed process that tends to increase an organism's adaptation to its environment. Over countless generations, this directed process can result in the evolution of complex organisms and structures. Unlike mutation, which occurs without any predictability towards beneficial or harmful effects, natural selection filters these mutations, preserving advantageous changes and eliminating detrimental ones. Thus, while mutation introduces randomness into the genetic pool, selection shapes it in a non-random way, leading to the evolution of species.