There are those who claim that the theory of evolution cannot be true because the apes, which are supposed to be closely related to humans, do not likewise share the same large brains, capacity for complicated speech, and tool-making capability. They reason that if these features are generally beneficial, then the apes should have evolved them as well. Which of these provides the best argument against this mis-conception?

A. Advantageous alleles do not arise on demand.

B. A population's evolution is limited by their environment.

C. Adaptations are often compromises.

D. Evolution can be influenced by environmental change.

Question

Niko Salazar

Biology

5 March, 09:30

There are those who claim that the theory of evolution cannot be true because the apes, which are supposed to be closely related to humans, do not likewise share the same large brains, capacity for complicated speech, and tool-making capability. They reason that if these features are generally beneficial, then the apes should have evolved them as well. Which of these provides the best argument against this mis-conception?

A. Advantageous alleles do not arise on demand.

B. A population's evolution is limited by their environment.

C. Adaptations are often compromises.

D. Evolution can be influenced by environmental change.

+1

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Brielle Berg · Answer 1

The correct answer is option A. "Advantageous alleles do not arise on demand".

Explanation:

One of the most common misconceptions of how evolution occurs is that an organism is able to develop advantageous traits on demand. Believing that, for instance, a giraffe was able to develop a large neck because it wanted to reach large trees. This is wrong, evolution is the product of nature selecting random mutations that are advantageous to a species.