Asked by daniel

Consider the group of giraffes in the image below.

mc006-1.jpg

Which statement about the giraffes explains their evolution based on Charles Darwin’s main points?
The closest fossil ancestor to these giraffes would have a very short neck.
All three of the giraffes have an equal chance of reproducing regardless of the environment.
As a giraffe reached for food, the giraffe could make its neck longer making it better adapted to the environment.
Long necks were a random genetic change and resulted in the gradual increase of organisms with long necks

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
"Long necks were a random genetic change and resulted in the gradual increase of organisms with long necks."

Explanation: Darwinian evolution by natural selection requires (1) heritable variation (random genetic changes/mutations produce different neck lengths), (2) differential survival/reproduction (longer-necked giraffes can reach more food and leave more offspring), and (3) gradual change in the population as advantageous traits become more common. The other statements describe fossils (not a Darwinian principle), equal reproductive chances (contradicts natural selection), or Lamarckian use-and-disuse (giraffes can't stretch their necks and pass that on).