Question on: JAMB Biology - 2024

The theory of natural selection, a core concept in evolutionary biology, is best explained by option C. Here's why:

• Natural selection is the process where organisms with traits better suited to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully.
• Option C, "The weaker offspring are eliminated," directly reflects this principle. Individuals with less advantageous traits are less likely to survive and pass on their genes, leading to a shift in the characteristics of a population over time.

Let's look at why the other options are incorrect:

• A. There is no struggle for existence: This is the opposite of what the theory suggests. Natural selection is driven by competition for resources, survival, and reproduction, creating a "struggle for existence."
• B. New species get better adaptation: While adaptation is a result of natural selection, this statement does not fully explain the theory's core mechanism, which is the selective elimination of less fit individuals.
• D. Unused structures disappear later: This describes the theory of "use and disuse," which is associated with Lamarckian evolution and not natural selection.