Which statement provides the best evidence that an environmental change can affect traits in later generations of an organism's population?
A The number of plankton begin to decrease as the pH of ocean water decreases.
® Above-average rainfall causes the number of lichens growing in a forest to increase.
© A type of plant that had rarely been observed in a particular habitat suddenly produces more offspring as
winters become milder.
• After a dry period lasting many years, only a few individuals of a tree population survive and then produce drought-tolerant offspring.
• After a dry period lasting many years, only a few individuals of a tree population survive and then produce drought-tolerant offspring.
This statement provides the best evidence that an environmental change can affect traits in later generations of an organism's population because it demonstrates how surviving individuals adapted to the change (drought) and passed on those traits to their offspring, leading to a change in the population's overall traits.