Question

New mutations: a) are random with respect to their effects on fitness b) are necessary for natural selection to cause evolutionary change c) are rare in a population d) a and b are correct e) all of the above?

1) are random with respect to their effects on fitness
2) are necessary for natural selection to cause evolutionary change
3) are rare in a population
4) a and b are correct
5) all of the above

Answer 1

The nature of mutations with respect to fitness is random, and they are essential for natural selection to drive evolutionary change. The correct answers are that mutations are random regarding their fitness effects and are a necessary component of evolution.Therefore, the most accurate answer choice is d, 'a and b are correct.'

Step-by-step explanation:

In responding to the question about the nature of new mutations, the correct answers are a) mutations are random with respect to their effects on fitness and b) mutations are necessary for natural selection to cause evolutionary change.

Mutations introduce new genetic variations, which can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral. This genetic variation is the raw material upon which natural selection operates. Although mutations are random, the process of natural selection is not; natural selection favors those variants that increase an organism's chances of survival and reproduction. Finally, while mutations are relatively rare events in a population, their existence is essential for evolutionary change.