Which term describes differences among individuals within a population?

Which term describes differences among individuals within a population?

• A. Adaptation
• B. Mutation
• C. Variation
• D. Evolution

Answer: (C)

Variation describes the differences among individuals within a population. These differences arise from different combinations of genes and alleles, and can also be shaped by environmental influences. This range of traits is the raw material on which natural selection acts, allowing some individuals to survive and reproduce more successfully in a given environment, which can lead to changes in the population over time. Adaptation refers to a trait that increases fitness in a particular environment, not the general differences among individuals. Mutation is a source of new genetic variation, contributing to what we see in a population, but the term for the observed differences is variation. Evolution is the broader process of change in allele frequencies across generations, not the immediate differences you can spot among individuals.

Variation describes the differences among individuals within a population. These differences arise from different combinations of genes and alleles, and can also be shaped by environmental influences. This range of traits is the raw material on which natural selection acts, allowing some individuals to survive and reproduce more successfully in a given environment, which can lead to changes in the population over time.

Adaptation refers to a trait that increases fitness in a particular environment, not the general differences among individuals. Mutation is a source of new genetic variation, contributing to what we see in a population, but the term for the observed differences is variation. Evolution is the broader process of change in allele frequencies across generations, not the immediate differences you can spot among individuals.