Which term is defined as the broad process by which populations accumulate inherited changes over many generations?

Which term is defined as the broad process by which populations accumulate inherited changes over many generations?

• A. Theory
• B. Evolution
• C. Descent with modification
• D. Fitness

Answer: (B)

Evolution is the broad process by which populations accumulate inherited changes over many generations. It describes how genetic variation exists within a population and how forces like natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, and mutation shift allele frequencies over time. Those small changes accumulate, leading to adaptations and, over long periods, the formation of new species. Descent with modification is an older way to express the same idea, but evolution is the standard term for the process. A theory is a well-supported explanation about why things happen, and fitness is about how well an organism reproduces, not the process itself.

Evolution is the broad process by which populations accumulate inherited changes over many generations. It describes how genetic variation exists within a population and how forces like natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, and mutation shift allele frequencies over time. Those small changes accumulate, leading to adaptations and, over long periods, the formation of new species. Descent with modification is an older way to express the same idea, but evolution is the standard term for the process. A theory is a well-supported explanation about why things happen, and fitness is about how well an organism reproduces, not the process itself.