Question

How does natural selection result in the Viceroy butterfly bearing a close but superficial resemblance to the Monarch butterfly?

Answer 1

Darwin‘s theory of evolution stated natural selection results in biological change which are inherited in the population. A vivid example is of butterflies in which one species adapts the physical characteristics of the other species to protect themselves from predators. This method is known as mimicry.

Complete answer:
The process or series of events by which living organisms adapt and change is known as natural selection. It is the engine that drives evolution. Organisms that are more adapted to the environment are more likely to survive than the less adapted organisms. This is also known as survival of the fittest. The fittest ones then transfer their adaptive characters to their offspring and this also leads to speciation.
Mimicry is observed in butterflies which serves as a model organism for the evolutionary concept of survival of fittest and natural selection. Batesian mimicry is observed in viceroy and monarch butterflies in which palatable species mimic unpalatable species. The monarch butterfly is unpalatable as they feed on toxic milkweeds in a larval stage which decreases the predation of the monarch butterfly. Viceroy butterfly which is palatable mimics monarch butterflies and has wings with similar colours which help in reduction in the predation rates.

Note:
Palatable species of butterfly mimics unpalatable and distasteful butterflies to protect themselves from predators. This is known as Batesian mimicry which happens in natural selection as the organism changes and adapts itself and the fittest organism survives and this is known as survival of the fittest.