Question

which was charles darwins contribution to the study of biology?
he was the first person to recognize that organisms change over time.
he believed that organisms adapted through the inheritance of acquired traits.
he explained how traits are passed from parents to offspring.
he proposed that natural selection is the primary mechanism of evolution.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the first option: The idea that organisms change over time was recognized before Darwin (e.g., by some early thinkers), so this is incorrect.
2. Analyze the second option: The inheritance of acquired traits was Lamarck's idea, not Darwin's, so this is incorrect.
3. Analyze the third option: The explanation of how traits are passed from parents to offspring (genetics) was developed by Mendel and others, not Darwin, so this is incorrect.
4. Analyze the fourth option: Darwin's key contribution was proposing natural selection as the primary mechanism of evolution, which is correct.

Answer:

He proposed that natural selection is the primary mechanism of evolution.