Question

Which of the following are the two key concepts of the Darwinian theory of evolution?

• A. Genetic drift and mutation
• B. Adaptive radiation and homology
• C. Mutation and natural selection
• D. Branching descent and natural selection

Answer 1

The correct option is D

Branching descent and natural selection

The correct option is D

Explanation of the correct option:

1. Incompatible species descending from the common antecedent get adapted in different habitats.
2. This is known as branching descent.
3. Natural selection is the process through which inhabitants of living organisms adapt and change.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option A:

Genetic drift is the chance that a change in the frequency of a mutation in a populace from one generation to the next generation results in a finite size of a populace.

Option B:

Adaptive radiation is the fast transformation of an ancestral species into a swarm of novel forms by organisms.

Option C:

1. Mutations are the origin of new variations.
2. Natural selection itself does not create new attributes it changes the proportion of variation that is present in the populace.

Final answer: The two key concepts of the Darwinian theory of evolution is branching descent and natural selection.