A difference between individuals within the same species is known as

A difference between individuals within the same species is known as

• A. Evolution
• B. Fossil
• C. Adaptation
• D. Variation

Answer: (D)

Variation is differences among individuals within a species. These differences come from genetic variation—mutations and the mixing of genes during sexual reproduction—as well as from environmental effects that influence how traits are expressed. This diversity provides the raw material that natural selection can act on, leading to changes in a population over time. Evolution describes that longer-term change in allele frequencies across generations, not the day-to-day differences you see among individuals. A fossil is simply preserved remains from the past, not current variation, and an adaptation is a trait that helps an organism survive or reproduce, which can arise from variation but isn’t the general term for the differences themselves.

Variation is differences among individuals within a species. These differences come from genetic variation—mutations and the mixing of genes during sexual reproduction—as well as from environmental effects that influence how traits are expressed. This diversity provides the raw material that natural selection can act on, leading to changes in a population over time. Evolution describes that longer-term change in allele frequencies across generations, not the day-to-day differences you see among individuals. A fossil is simply preserved remains from the past, not current variation, and an adaptation is a trait that helps an organism survive or reproduce, which can arise from variation but isn’t the general term for the differences themselves.