Natural Selection Drives Differential Reproduction

Steps:

• Identify the key elements: the process involves reproduction among the best-fitted members of a species in their environment.
• Recall definitions: natural selection is the mechanism where advantageous traits increase in frequency over generations.
• Match to choices: evaluate which term describes reproduction favoring the fittest.
• Eliminate mismatches: rule out unrelated concepts like variation or mutation.

Why C is correct:

• Natural selection, as defined by Darwin, is the process where individuals with traits best suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully, passing on those traits.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Discontinuous variation refers to distinct trait differences, like blood types, not a reproductive process.
• B: Gene mutation is a random change in DNA that can introduce new traits but does not involve selective reproduction.
• D: Survival of the fittest is a phrase describing an outcome of natural selection, not the process itself.

Final answer: C