Evolution occurs when these three things exist:

• A. Generation of diversity, selective reproduction, and transmitted change
• B. Mutation, natural selection, and adaptation
• C. Genetic drift and migration
• D. Variation, inheritance, and speciation

Answer: (A)

Evolution requires three ingredients: heritable variation, and differential reproduction over generations. Variation provides the material that selection acts on; heredity ensures those traits are passed to offspring; differential reproduction means some variants leave more descendants, shifting allele frequencies in the population over time. The option that describes generation of diversity (variation), transmitted change (heredity), and selective reproduction (differential reproductive success) matches these essential elements. Without all three, evolution as a change in a population over generations doesn’t occur. The other choices mix mechanisms or outcomes or omit one of the necessary components.