Living Environment Regents Practice Test

What is an outcome of natural selection regarding trait frequencies in a population?

1. All traits become equally common

2. Favorable traits are more likely to be passed to offspring

3. Natural selection makes all individuals stronger

4. Unfavorable traits become extinct quickly

The correct answer is: Favorable traits are more likely to be passed to offspring

The correct choice reflects a fundamental principle of natural selection. In any given population, individuals that possess favorable traits—traits that provide an advantage in survival or reproduction—are more likely to survive and reproduce. This increases the likelihood that these advantageous traits will be passed down to the next generation. Over time, this process can lead to an increase in the frequency of these favorable traits within the population, shaping the evolutionary trajectory of the species. In contrast, the other options do not accurately describe the outcomes of natural selection. The idea that all traits would become equally common overlooks the fact that certain traits confer specific advantages or disadvantages based on environmental conditions, leading to uneven frequencies rather than equal distribution. The claim that natural selection makes all individuals stronger is misleading; natural selection enhances traits that improve fitness relative to the environment, but this doesn’t imply a general increase in strength or fitness across all individuals. Lastly, while unfavorable traits may diminish over time, the assertion that they become extinct quickly isn’t entirely accurate; the rate at which they disappear depends on various factors, including changes in the environment and reproductive rates, and not all unfavorable traits vanish rapidly from a population.