What term describes a trait that helps an organism survive?

• A. Adaptation
• B. Fossil
• C. Scientific theory
• D. Competition

Answer: (A)

An adaptation is a trait that increases an organism’s chances of surviving and reproducing in its environment. Such traits can be structural, like a giraffe’s long neck that helps reach high leaves, behavioral, like migration to favorable climates, or physiological, like faster metabolic processes that cope with heat or drought. Over generations, natural selection tends to favor individuals with advantageous adaptations, so these traits become more common in the population.

The other terms don’t describe a trait that aids survival. A fossil is preserved remains of past life, not a living trait. A scientific theory is a well-supported explanation for a broad set of observations, not a specific trait. Competition refers to the interaction between organisms for resources, which can drive the development of adaptations, but it is not a trait itself.