Which of the following represents a major concept related to the evolutionary theory?

The major concept related to evolutionary theory is that natural selection favors advantageous traits. This principle, proposed by Charles Darwin, emphasizes that in a given environment, organisms that possess traits that confer a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely to pass those traits on to the next generation. Over time, this can lead to the adaptation of species as beneficial traits become more common in the population.

Natural selection operates on existing variation within a population, meaning that those individuals with traits best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This concept is central to understanding how species change and adapt over generations in response to their environments, driving the process of evolution and leading to the diversity of life we observe today.

Other concepts mentioned do not encapsulate the core mechanism of evolutionary change as effectively. For instance, while biodiversity can increase in stable environments, it does not represent a process of evolutionary change like natural selection does. Adaptation resulting from artificial selection pertains to human influences on breeding, highlighting a different mechanism than natural selection, which occurs naturally without human intervention. Lastly, the idea that species evolve toward a fixed endpoint suggests a predetermined direction in evolution, which is contrary to the nature of evolutionary processes that are influenced by changing environments and random genetic variations.