Question

With respect to Darwin's theory of evolution which of the following statements is incorrect?

• A. Species adapt over time
• B. Natural selection produces changes in species over time
• C. Darwin was the sole proponent of the theory of natural selection
• D. Struggle for existence leads to the survival of the fittest

Answer 1

The correct option is C Darwin was the sole proponent of the theory of natural selection

Charles Robert Darwin proposed and provided evidence that all species evolved over time from one or a few ancestral species through the process of natural selection. Alfred Russell Wallace came to similar conclusions by working in the Malay Archipelago that made up of present-day Indonesia and the Philippines.

According to the natural selection theory, individuals of a species possess variations. In a population that is growing at geometric rate of growth, there is always a scarcity of resources which leads to struggle for existence. Those who survive will produce more offspring and they would pass on their variations, as they are fit to survive over others. This is also known as survival of fittest.