Question

some behaviors, such as nest building in birds, are determined by the genes of an organism. these innate behaviors are inherited from parent to offspring and exhibited even if the offspring does not observe its parent performing the behavior. nest building behavior was most likely an evolutionary advantage because birds that built nests were more likely to raise their young to maturity and thus increase their reproductive success. that is, birds that laid their eggs in nests had more offspring survive to adulthood than those that did not. behaviors that are determined by genes and that give an organism increased reproductive success usually become common in a species due to a. random chance b. abnormal mutation c. asexual reproduction d. natural selection

Explanation:

The question is about innate behaviors in organisms (like nest - building in birds) and how behaviors that increase reproductive success become common in a species. Natural selection is the process where traits (including behavioral traits) that enhance an organism's fitness (here, reproductive success) are more likely to be passed on to the next generation and become more common in the population. Random chance (option A) doesn't explain the non - random increase of beneficial behaviors. Abnormal mutation (option B) is not related to the inheritance and spread of innate beneficial behaviors. Asexual reproduction (option C) is not relevant here as the context is about behaviors that are inherited and spread in a population, and many species with innate behaviors reproduce sexually. So the correct answer is related to natural selection.

Answer:

D. natural selection