Which of the following situations best shows Darwin’s theory of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution?


A. The long neck of a giraffe is the result of its ancestor continually reaching for higher branches.


B. The ancestor of the snake had its legs bitten off by a predator, thus all of its offspring had no legs.


C. A long, thin-beaked bird can reach nectar in a flower that other birds cannot, so it survives and breeds offspring that also have long, thin beaks.


D. During its lifetime, a man works out and gets increasingly large muscles. Thus, all of his offspring will be born with strong muscles as well.

And your answer is?

I don't think so.

What does your text materials say?

oh wait I believe its C.

C is correct.

The situation that best shows Darwin's theory of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution is option C: A long, thin-beaked bird can reach nectar in a flower that other birds cannot, so it survives and breeds offspring that also have long, thin beaks.

To understand why this situation aligns with Darwin's theory, let's break it down:

Darwin's theory of natural selection states that individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those traits to future generations. In this case, the long, thin-beaked bird possesses a favorable trait that allows it to reach nectar in a flower that other birds cannot access. This gives the bird a survival advantage over its counterparts, as it can obtain more food. As a result, the bird is more likely to survive and reproduce successfully.

The offspring of this long, thin-beaked bird will inherit its parent's long, thin beak, which gives them the same advantage of being able to reach nectar in flowers. Over many generations, individuals with long, thin beaks will become more prevalent within the bird population because they are better adapted to their environment and have a higher chance of surviving.

Therefore, the situation of a long, thin-beaked bird surviving and passing on its beak traits to offspring best aligns with Darwin's theory of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution.