Which term best describes an inherited characteristic that increases an organism's fitness?

Which term best describes an inherited characteristic that increases an organism's fitness?

• A. Adaptation
• B. Descent with modification
• C. Fossil
• D. Evolution

Answer: (A)

Adaptation is an inherited characteristic that increases an organism's fitness in a particular environment. It arises when individuals with advantageous heritable traits leave more offspring, so the trait becomes more common over generations. This makes the trait useful for understanding why certain features persist and spread because they improve survival or reproduction. Descent with modification describes the overall process of evolutionary change, not a specific trait. A fossil is simply a preserved remnant from the past, not a trait that boosts current fitness. Evolution refers to the broader process of allele frequencies shifting in populations over time, not a single inherited feature.

Adaptation is an inherited characteristic that increases an organism's fitness in a particular environment. It arises when individuals with advantageous heritable traits leave more offspring, so the trait becomes more common over generations. This makes the trait useful for understanding why certain features persist and spread because they improve survival or reproduction.

Descent with modification describes the overall process of evolutionary change, not a specific trait. A fossil is simply a preserved remnant from the past, not a trait that boosts current fitness. Evolution refers to the broader process of allele frequencies shifting in populations over time, not a single inherited feature.