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Chapter 18: Problem 3

Which is the best definition of adaptation? a. a trait or behavior that aids an organism鈥檚 survival and reproduction b. a heritable trait or behavior that aids an organism鈥檚 survival and reproduction c. a trait or behavior that aids a population鈥檚 survival and reproduction d. a heritable trait or behavior that aids a population鈥檚 survival and reproduction

Short Answer

Expert verified
Option (b) is the best definition.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Adaptation

Adaptation refers to a characteristic that enhances the survival and reproduction of organisms in a specific environment.
02

Heritability

Adaptations are typically heritable traits, meaning they can be passed from one generation to the next.
03

Context of Adaptation

Focus on whether the adaptation benefits an individual organism or the population as a whole as it is related to evolution and natural selection.
04

Comparing Options

Option (a) and (c) talk about traits or behaviors that aid survival and reproduction but do not specify heritability. Option (b) and (d) add the aspect of heritability which is crucial for adaptations.
05

Selecting the Best Definition

Since adaptations are heritable traits, options that include this concept are more accurate. Additionally, adaptations usually refer to individual organisms rather than populations.
06

Final Decision

Option (b) provides the most complete definition as it includes both heritability and the aid to an individual organism鈥檚 survival and reproduction.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

heritable traits
Heritable traits are characteristics that can be passed down from one generation to the next through genes. Examples include eye color, blood type, and certain behaviors. These traits are encoded in DNA and are passed to offspring during reproduction. In the context of adaptation, heritable traits are crucial because they provide the genetic variations on which natural selection can act. Without heritable traits, an organism's adaptations wouldn't be transmitted to the next generation, which is vital for the process of evolution.
survival and reproduction
Survival and reproduction are key elements of adaptation. A trait or behavior that helps an organism survive longer or reproduce more effectively increases its fitness in a given environment. For instance, if a lizard has a coloration that helps it blend into its surroundings, it is less likely to be seen by predators, thereby increasing its chances of survival. Similarly, if a bird has a beak shape that allows it to access food more easily, it may have a higher reproductive success. Essentially, traits that enhance survival and reproduction are favored in the natural selection process.
evolution and natural selection
Evolution is the process through which species change over time. One of the main mechanisms of evolution is natural selection, which acts on heritable traits. Natural selection encourages the survival of organisms with favorable traits while weeding out those with less advantageous ones. Over many generations, this process can lead to significant changes in a species. For example, if a population of insects develops resistance to a pesticide, those with the resistance trait will survive and reproduce, gradually making the trait more common in the population. This is a clear illustration of how adaptation, heritable traits, and natural selection converge in the journey of evolution.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Populations of a nocturnal toad live along a long river. On the other side of a band of territory that is about 10 kilometers wide, there are populations of a toad that appear similar. Which of the following data would provide compelling evidence that the two populations represent different species? a. The populations of toads on the other side of the banded territory are not completely nocturnal. b. Fertile hybrid populations of toads are foundmbetween the two other populations. c. There appear to be some hybrid toads between the two populations, but they are few and frail. d. The two populations of toads enact very different mating behaviors.

Which statement best describes the relationship between the theory of evolution and the origin of life? a. The theory includes an explanation of life鈥檚 origins. b. The theory cannot explain the origin of life. c. The theory does not try to explain the origin of life. d. The theory does not contribute understanding to pre-life processes.

A friend says: 鈥淣atural selection is about the survival of the very fittest in a population. The fittest are those that are strongest, largest, fastest.鈥� Would you agree with that statement? Explain. What evidence from scientific disciplines can you offer to support your agreement or your disagreement? a. The statement is true. If an organism is not strong and fast, it will not survive long enough to reproduce and pass on its genes, and if it is not large and fitter than the other individuals around it then it will not be able to compete for a mate. Many seal species, for example, have only a single male who gets to mate. He must be the very fittest seal to win all the females. b. The very fittest organisms are not necessarily the ones that survive. Sometimes it is the least fit organisms that survive and reproduce. For example, in one generation the mice who are bad at foraging for seeds may reproduce prolifically and dominate the mice who are good at foraging. In this case, natural selection will select for the less-fit phenotype and spread it in the population. c. The definition of fitness is not correct. The strongest and fastest organisms are more fit than the weaker and slower ones, but large individuals are often at a disadvantage to smaller ones because they are easily spotted by predators. For example, a large rabbit will stick out on a field more than a small one and will get eaten by a hawk. d. What is meant by 鈥渇ittest鈥� is not necessarily strong, large, and fast. Fitness, as defined in evolutionary terms, has to do with survival and the reproduction of genetic material. For example, a small but showy male bird may be selected by female birds to reproduce, while a large but less colorful one is not.

Which statement about postzygotic barriers is false? a. They occur after fertilization. b. They include hybrids that are sterile. c. They include hybrid organisms that don鈥檛 survive the embryonic stage. d. They include reproductive organ incompatibility

Consider two species of birds that diverged while separated geographically but resumed their contact before reproductive isolation was complete. Which describes the first step in what would happen over time if the two species mated extensively and their hybrid offspring survived and reproduced more poorly than offspring from intra-species matings? a. Natural selection would cause prezygotic barriers to reproduction between the parent species to strengthen over time. b. The production of unfit hybrids would increase and the speciation process would complete. c. The extensive mating between the species would continue to produce large numbers of hybrids. d. The gene pools of the parent species would fuse over time, reversing the speciation process.
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