Populations of a European salamander, Proteus anguinus, live in underground caves that have a limited food supply. One of the salamanders adaptations is the ability to significantly reduce its rate of metabolism when food is scarce. Which of the following statements best describes how the process of natural selection led to this adaptation?

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

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Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]

Populations of a European salamander, Proteus anguinus, live in underground caves that have a limited food supply. One of the salamander’s adaptations is the ability to significantly reduce its rate of metabolism when food is scarce. Which of the following statements best describes how the process of natural selection led to this adaptation?

A	Salamanders with the ability to slow their metabolism grew more slowly than other salamanders.
B	Salamanders with the ability to slow their metabolism were more likely to emigrate than other salamanders.
C	Salamanders with the ability to slow their metabolism underwent more rapid mutation than other salamanders.
D	Salamanders with the ability to slow their metabolism were more likely to survive and reproduce than other salamanders.

Explanation:

Detailed explanation-1: -for natural selection to occur, variation must exist in a population.

Detailed explanation-2: -Natural selection is certainly an important mechanism of allele-frequency change, and it is the only mechanism that generates adaptation of organisms to their environments.

Detailed explanation-3: -Which of the following describes how a large mouse population with high genetic diversity will most likely be affected by a sudden, significant environmental change? Only those individuals best adapted to the new environment will survive and reproduce, leading to a decrease in genetic diversity.

Detailed explanation-4: -The idea of natural selection is that traits that can be passed down allow organisms to adapt to the environment better than other organisms of the same species. This enables better survival and reproduction compared with other members of the species, leading to evolution.

There is 1 question to complete.