Question

Only variations that confer an advantage to an individual organism will survive in a population
(a)True
(b)False

Answer 1

Only those organisms may survive in a harsh environment, which has a better adaptation for that particular environment. Sometimes variation is needed for better adaptation.

Complete answer:
Only those variations are indeed considered as an advantage for an organism which proves useful for its survival in a given population. The extent to which an organism will survive depends upon the nature of the variation.
Example: A bacteria may withstand heat waves due to its genetic variation but in a cold environment, the same bacteria may not survive. It means the genetic variation in bacteria is an advantage, only in case of a hot environment but as soon as the bacteria is shifted to a cold environment it dies. This happens due to the lack of better adaptive skills for the cold environment.

Additional Information:
-Genetic variation is the difference between the gene sequence among organisms.
-Phenotypic variation is the difference in morphology due to environmental factors, among organisms.
-Charles Darwin gave the theory, ‘survival of the fittest’
-Genetic drift is the elimination of genes of some original characteristics of a species by an extreme reduction in population due to epidemics or migration.
-A mutation is a sudden change in the DNA sequence.
So, the correct answer is, ‘True.’

Note: Variation is defined as any difference between cells or between a group of an organism caused by either genetic difference or environmental factors. When an environmental factor results in variation in an organism, it forms the basis of an evolutionary process.