Inherited characteristic that increases an organism's fitness (chance of survival).

Inherited characteristic that increases an organism's fitness (chance of survival).

• A. Fossil
• B. Carbon dating
• C. Adaptation
• D. Evolution

Answer: (C)

An inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s fitness is an adaptation. An adaptation is a heritable trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment, giving it a better chance to pass on its genes. Over generations, natural selection favors individuals with beneficial traits, so these adaptations become more common in the population. The trait must be heritable and advantageous in the specific environment, rather than something learned or purely incidental. Fossils are preserved remains of ancient organisms, not a trait that boosts survival. Carbon dating is a method for estimating the age of fossils, not a biological characteristic. Evolution is the broader process by which populations change over time, which can lead to adaptations, but it is not a single inherited trait itself.

An inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s fitness is an adaptation. An adaptation is a heritable trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment, giving it a better chance to pass on its genes. Over generations, natural selection favors individuals with beneficial traits, so these adaptations become more common in the population. The trait must be heritable and advantageous in the specific environment, rather than something learned or purely incidental.

Fossils are preserved remains of ancient organisms, not a trait that boosts survival. Carbon dating is a method for estimating the age of fossils, not a biological characteristic. Evolution is the broader process by which populations change over time, which can lead to adaptations, but it is not a single inherited trait itself.