Consider the following scenario:

Some fish in a murky underground lake have lighter scales than the others. This makes it slightly harder for the lighter fish to escape detection by predators, but most light-colored fish live long enough to reproduce. A natural event separates the dark-scaled fish from their light-scaled cousins, and as a result, a new species of dark-scaled fish emerges.

Which statement accurately describes the scenario?

(1 point)
Responses

The fish experienced an evolutionary change because of natural selection.
The fish experienced an evolutionary change because of natural selection.

The fish survived because of an inheritable advantage.
The fish survived because of an inheritable advantage.

The fish survived because of a non-genetic advantage.
The fish survived because of a non-genetic advantage.

The fish experienced an evolutionary change because of genetic drift.

1 answer

The correct statement that accurately describes the scenario is:

The fish experienced an evolutionary change because of natural selection.

This is because the lighter-scaled fish have a slightly harder time escaping predators, which suggests that the darker-scaled fish had a survival advantage in their new environment, leading to their predominance and the eventual emergence of a new species.