Charles Darwin argued that evolution is accomplished by the process of natural selection.Which of the following is not important to the concept of natural selection?
A)Most organisms are capable of producing more offspring than typically survive.
B)Phenotypic variation that an organism acquires in its lifetime is passed on to its offspring.
C)Phenotypic variation exists within populations.
D)Phenotypic variation can influence reproductive success.
E)Phenotypic variation within a species is due in part to inherited characteristics.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The concept of natural selection is based on the idea that certain inherited traits give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing, leading to a higher frequency of those traits in the population over time. However, the transmission of acquired traits from parents to offspring is not a mechanism that supports this process, as such traits are not encoded in an organism's DNA and cannot be passed down through the genetic material. Therefore, option B, which implies that phenotypic variation acquired during an organism's lifetime can influence the course of evolution, is not relevant to the concept of natural selection.

Charles Darwin Argued That Evolution Is Accomplished by the Process