The survival of a species depends on its ability to adapt to changes in the environment. A species must be capable of surviving
and reproducing despite changes to food sources, climate, or threats from predators. Which statement correctly describes a way that mutations increase the likelihood that a species will survive in a changing environment? Mutations are always passed on to subsequent generations of the species
Mutations lead to genetic variation
Mutations are the cause of disease in the species
Mutations are not harmful when they occur in somatic cells of a species
Your answer is B) Mutations lead to genetic variation.
Think of it like this, when rays were first starting to develop, they probably started with only one kind, stingless. Somewhere down the line, the genes of the rays started to mutate and eventually, there were stingrays and stingless rays. Now at this point there are predators that frequently feast upon the rays, so which of the two rays are more likely to defend themselves, and get away to live long enough to reproduce and pass on their genes? The stingrays! The mutation that may have occurred millions of years ago, has determined which organisms were more fit for a changing environment.
