Final answer:
In evolution, adaptation is a feature or behavior that increases an organism's survival and reproduction in a particular environment. It results from natural selection, where beneficial traits become more common in a population over time. As environments change, adaptations may evolve to fit the new conditions. The correct option is D) a biological feature or behavior in a population of organisms that improves its chances for survival in the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Within the context of evolution, adaptation refers to a biological feature or behavior in a population of organisms that enhances their chances of surviving and reproducing in a given environment. An adaptation can be a structural trait, like the webbed feet of a platypus that aid in swimming, or behavioral, such as the migration patterns of birds. Adaptations result from the process of natural selection, where genetic variations that confer an advantage in survival or reproduction tend to increase in frequency within a population over time.
Evolution is the overall change in the characteristics of living organisms over generations. It is driven by a combination of genetic variation in populations and the pressures of the environment, which favor the proliferation of certain traits over others. For instance, Darwin's finches are an example where beak size is adapted to match the availability of different-sized seeds, an adaptation that enhances their survival and reproductive success.
Adaptations are not fixed; as environments shift, what once was an advantageous trait may become less beneficial, and new adaptations may arise through natural selection. A change in environmental conditions may lead to an alteration in the allele frequencies within the genetic makeup of the population—this is the essence of evolutionary change.