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Multiple Choice
Which of the following scenarios is an example of natural selection?
A
A scientist breeds dogs to have shorter tails over several generations.
B
A plant wilts when it does not receive enough water.
C
A population of moths becomes darker over generations because darker moths are less likely to be eaten by predators.
D
A person learns to ride a bicycle and teaches their child to do the same.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of natural selection. Natural selection is a process where individuals with traits that provide a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely to pass those traits to the next generation. Over time, this leads to changes in the population's traits.
Step 2: Analyze each scenario provided in the problem. Determine whether the scenario involves traits being passed down due to survival or reproductive advantages.
Step 3: Evaluate the first scenario: 'A scientist breeds dogs to have shorter tails over several generations.' This is an example of artificial selection, not natural selection, because the trait is being chosen by human intervention rather than survival advantage in nature.
Step 4: Evaluate the second scenario: 'A plant wilts when it does not receive enough water.' This is not an example of natural selection because it describes a physiological response to environmental stress, not a heritable trait being passed down due to survival advantage.
Step 5: Evaluate the third scenario: 'A population of moths becomes darker over generations because darker moths are less likely to be eaten by predators.' This is an example of natural selection because the darker coloration provides a survival advantage (avoiding predation), and this trait becomes more common in the population over generations.