Question

Why do species appear to be well-suited to their environments, rather than in a constant state of transition?

A. Because species are fixed and unchanging, with no capacity for adaptation.
B. Because environmental conditions remain static, providing no selective pressure for change.
C. Because species are entirely isolated and do not interact with other organisms or environments.
D. Because all species were created in their current form and have not evolved over time.

Answer 1

Species are not in a constant state of transition because evolution is not goal directed. Traits that evolve in a species are a result of the variation present and the changing environment. What may be fit for an environment at one point may be fatal in the future.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a larger sense, evolution is not goal directed. Species do not become "better" over time; they simply track their changing environment with adaptations that maximize their reproduction in a particular environment at a particular time. Evolution has no goal of making faster, bigger, more complex, or even smarter species, despite the commonness of this kind of language in popular discourse. What characteristics evolve in a species are a function of the variation present and the environment, both of which are constantly changing in a non-directional way. A trait that fits in one environment at one time may well be fatal at some point in the future. This holds equally well for insect and human species.