Question

which of the following are definitions of the term adaptation? choose 2 answers: a a structure that persists in an organism due to its evolutionary history despite not providing any modern advantage in terms of survival or reproduction b a heritable trait that increases an organism’s fitness in its environment c a trait with a genetic basis that makes an organism faster or stronger d a process by which heritable traits that increase organisms’ fitness in their environment become dominant in a population

Explanation:

• Option A describes a vestigial structure, not adaptation.
• Option B: An adaptation is a heritable trait that enhances an organism's fitness (survival and reproduction) in its environment, so this fits.
• Option C: Adaptation isn't just about being faster/stronger; it's about fitness (survival/reproduction), so this is incorrect.
• Option D: The process of natural selection (where adaptive traits become dominant) is related to how adaptations spread, and this can be considered a definition of the adaptive process (or the result of adaptation over time).

Answer:

B. a heritable trait that increases an organism’s fitness in its environment
D. a process by which heritable traits that increase organisms’ fitness in their environment become dominant in a population