Why might some adaptations no longer be beneficial in modern environments?

• A. They remain beneficial in modern environments.
• B. They might no longer be beneficial in current environments.
• C. They were never true adaptations.
• D. They are fully overridden by culture.

Answer: (B)

Adaptations are traits that increase fitness in the environment where they evolved. When environments change—through technology, medicine, diet, or climate—the same trait might no longer provide a benefit and can even become costly. That’s why some adaptations might not be beneficial in current environments. A classic example is energy storage: traits that helped our ancestors store fat to survive famine are less advantageous today and can contribute to obesity or metabolic problems in a food-rich world. Traits persist because removing them would incur costs (such as pleiotropic effects or genetic linkage), or because culture shifts the context gradually rather than instantly; culture changes the environment, but it doesn’t instantly rewrite the genetic makeup, so the trait can remain even when it’s less beneficial.