please help me on true or false, i put false, according to natural selection, individual organisms can evolve new phenotpes in response to their environments.

According to natural selection, individual organisms cannot directly evolve new phenotypes in response to their environments. However, they can pass on certain traits or variations to their offspring, which can then be subject to natural selection in subsequent generations.

To understand why this statement is false, we need to clarify the concept of natural selection. Natural selection is the process by which certain traits or characteristics become more or less common in a population over generations, based on their impact on an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.

Individual organisms are born with certain phenotypes, which are observable characteristics resulting from a combination of genes and environmental factors. These phenotypes are a result of the genetic information inherited from their parents.

During the process of natural selection, individuals with certain advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce at a higher rate compared to individuals without those traits. Over time, the frequency of the advantageous traits increases in the population, while traits that are less advantageous may decrease or disappear.

However, it is important to note that individuals themselves cannot directly change their phenotypes in response to the environment. Evolution occurs over multiple generations through the process of genetic variation, selection, and inheritance. Individual organisms may exhibit certain traits that are better suited to their environment, increasing their chances of survival and reproduction, but these traits are already present in their genetic makeup.

Therefore, the statement that individual organisms can evolve new phenotypes in response to their environments is false. Instead, natural selection acts upon existing genetic variation within a population, favoring traits that provide advantages for survival and reproduction.