How does natural selection lead to evolution?

• A. By allowing all individuals in a population to survive and reproduce equally, maintaining genetic stability.
• B. By eliminating all genetic variation within a population.
• C. By favoring individuals with advantageous traits, increasing their frequency in the population over generations.
• D. By causing random changes in DNA sequences that always result in beneficial traits.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of natural selection: Natural selection is a process where individuals with traits that provide a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely to pass those traits to the next generation.
2. Recognize the role of advantageous traits: Traits that improve an organism's ability to survive and reproduce become more common in the population over time because individuals with these traits are more likely to succeed in passing on their genes.
3. Connect natural selection to evolution: Over generations, the accumulation of advantageous traits leads to changes in the genetic makeup of the population, which is the process of evolution.
4. Clarify why other options are incorrect: Natural selection does not allow all individuals to survive equally, nor does it eliminate genetic variation. It also does not cause random changes in DNA sequences; mutations are random, but natural selection acts on existing variation.
5. Summarize the correct answer: Natural selection leads to evolution by favoring individuals with advantageous traits, increasing their frequency in the population over generations.