Question

this question has two parts. first, answer part a. then answer part b.
part a
the model shows a population of organisms living in a dry environment. some organisms have a trait. which claim best explains how this trait affects the population over time?
the trait allows individual organisms to survive droughts without changing the population
the trait develops in response to environmental stress during an organism’s lifetime
the trait increases survival and reproduction, causing it to become more common over generations
the trait reduces competition between different species

Explanation:

To determine the best explanation for how a trait affects a population over time, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Allowing individuals to survive droughts without changing the population does not explain long - term population change. Traits that affect populations over time are related to inheritance and differential survival/reproduction.
• Option 2: Traits developing during an organism's lifetime (like acquired traits) are not passed on to offspring in the context of evolution by natural selection, so this does not explain population change over generations.
• Option 3: If a trait increases survival and reproduction, individuals with this trait are more likely to pass it on to their offspring. Over generations, this trait will become more common in the population, which is a key concept in natural selection and population change over time.
• Option 4: Reducing competition between different species does not directly explain how the trait affects the population of the given organism over time. It is more about inter - species relationships rather than the evolution of the population.

Answer:

The trait increases survival and reproduction, causing it to become more common over generations