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nmdcat.online July 14, 2026

Under Darwin’s theory of natural selection, how is the origin of a highly complex organ, such as the vertebrate eye, explained?

A. It arose suddenly in a single generation through a massive, coordinated mutation.
B. It was assembled through a long, gradual series of small, step-by-step modifications, each of which provided a survival advantage.
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C. It developed because organisms felt an intense internal need to see their surroundings.
D. It is a non-functional evolutionary byproduct that was fixed by genetic drift.

📝 Explanation

Darwin argued that complex structures evolve via the gradual accumulation of many slight, heritable modifications, with each step improving the organism's fitness compared to the previous state.

📖 Additional Information

  • It arose suddenly in a single generation through a massive, coordinated mutation.
  • It was assembled through a long, gradual series of small, step-by-step modifications, each of which provided a survival advantage.
  • It developed because organisms felt an intense internal need to see their surroundings.
  • It is a non-functional evolutionary byproduct that was fixed by genetic drift.

Darwin argued that complex structures evolve via the gradual accumulation of many slight, heritable modifications, with each step improving the organism's fitness compared to the previous state.

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