All individuals develop traits to match changes to their environment. All individuals learn to adapt to specific changes that occur slowly in their environment. Some individuals respond to their environment by mutating to make themselves more likely to survive. Some individuals have genetic differences that make them more likely to survive and reproduce in their environment.
I gave my students this multiple choice question: Which of the following statements best describes the process of natural selection in a population?

Only one answer is correct among these 4 choices:
- All individuals develop traits to match changes to their environment.
- All individuals learn to adapt to specific changes that occur slowly in their environment.
- Some individuals respond to their environment by mutating to make themselves more likely to survive.
- Some individuals have genetic differences that make them more likely to survive and reproduce in their environment.

Could you tell me which one is correct?

Some individuals have genetic differences that make them more likely to survive and reproduce in their environment.