Question

selective breeding leading to the creation of high - yielding crops like maize from wild ancestors exemplifies: a. environmental adaptation b. natural selection c. artificial selection d. evolutionary selection what can rapid changes in traits within populations indicate? a. the absence of selection pressures b. the stability of the environment c. the effects of natural selection d. the influence of artificial selection which of the following best describes natural selection? a. a random process that does not influence the traits of a population b. the method by which all organisms evolve at the same rate. c. the mechanism by which organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce d. a process where humans breed organisms for specific traits

Explanation:

1. Selective breeding by humans to create high - yielding crops is artificial selection. Natural selection is a non - human, environmental process. Environmental adaptation is a general concept related to how organisms adjust to their surroundings, and evolutionary selection is a broad term but not the most accurate here.
2. Rapid changes in traits within populations are often due to artificial selection where humans quickly select for certain traits. Absence of selection pressures would lead to stability, not rapid change. Stability of the environment doesn't cause rapid trait changes. While natural selection can cause changes, artificial selection can cause more rapid ones in some cases.
3. Natural selection is the process by which organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce. It is not a random process (it is based on fitness), organisms don't evolve at the same rate, and the process where humans breed organisms for specific traits is artificial selection.

Answer:

1. c. Artificial selection
2. d. The influence of artificial selection
3. c. The mechanism by which organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce