Evolution is defined as which of the following?

Evolution is defined as which of the following?

• A. The changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations
• B. The immediate adaptation to a new environment
• C. The variation within a single organism
• D. The intentional manipulation of genetics

Answer: (A)

Evolution refers to changes in inherited characteristics within a biological population over successive generations. These changes happen because allele frequencies shift due to processes like natural selection, mutation, gene flow, and genetic drift, and they accumulate across many generations. It’s about populations and what’s passed down genetically, not what an individual can do in its own lifetime. So an immediate adaptation to a new environment isn’t evolution, because it’s a short-term, non-heritable response. Variation within a single organism isn’t population-level genetic change either, and intentional genetic manipulation is genetic engineering, not evolution. A classic illustration is antibiotic resistance in bacteria, where resistant traits rise in frequency across generations within a population.

Evolution refers to changes in inherited characteristics within a biological population over successive generations. These changes happen because allele frequencies shift due to processes like natural selection, mutation, gene flow, and genetic drift, and they accumulate across many generations. It’s about populations and what’s passed down genetically, not what an individual can do in its own lifetime. So an immediate adaptation to a new environment isn’t evolution, because it’s a short-term, non-heritable response. Variation within a single organism isn’t population-level genetic change either, and intentional genetic manipulation is genetic engineering, not evolution. A classic illustration is antibiotic resistance in bacteria, where resistant traits rise in frequency across generations within a population.