A heritable trait that enhances an individual's fitness and is an evolutionary adaptation is known as what?

• A. Mutations
• B. Population
• C. Adaptive Trait
• D. Biodiversity

Answer: (C)

An adaptation is a heritable trait that increases an organism’s fitness in a given environment. Traits that enhance survival or reproductive success become more common in a population over generations because individuals with them leave more offspring. That makes an adaptive trait the best term for a heritable feature that boosts fitness through natural selection. Mutations are sources of genetic variation and aren’t necessarily beneficial, while a population is a group of organisms and biodiversity refers to the variety of life—neither describes a trait itself.