Final answer:
The correct answer is D) All of the above. In most modern selective dog breeding programs, survival of the fittest is the guiding principle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is D) All of the above.
In most modern selective dog breeding programs, survival of the fittest is the guiding principle. Fitness, in evolutionary terms, refers to the ability to survive and reproduce, which is determined by a combination of traits and behaviors that are favorable for a particular environment. This includes variations in traits among individuals, competition for limited resources, and the production of more offspring than can survive.
For example, in a population of mice, the ones that are less fit in terms of foraging ability may reproduce prolifically and dominate over the mice that are better at foraging. In this case, natural selection will select for the less-fit phenotype and spread it in the population.