Over Evolutionary Time, Many Cave-Dwelling Organisms Have Lost Their Eyes

question 52

Multiple Choice

Over evolutionary time, many cave-dwelling organisms have lost their eyes. Tapeworms have lost their digestive systems. Whales have lost their hind limbs. How can natural selection account for these losses?

• A) Natural selection cannot account for losses, only for innovations.
• B) Natural selection accounts for these losses by the principle of use and disuse.
• C) Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, each of these structures presented greater costs than benefits.
• D) The ancestors of these organisms experienced harmful mutations that forced them to find new habitats that these species had not previously used.

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Definitions:

Average Total Cost

The total cost of production divided by the number of units produced, indicating the cost per unit of output.

Marginal Cost

The additional cost incurred by producing one more unit of a product or service, an essential concept for understanding optimal production levels and pricing strategies.

Monopolistically Competitive

Pertaining to a market structure where many firms sell products that are differentiated from one another but can act as substitutes, thereby creating competition.

Average Total Cost

The aggregate expense of manufacturing (sum of constant and fluctuating costs) spread over the entire volume of goods produced.