Another Evolution question from TPRH

[orangetea]

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Why do predators usually not kill an entire population of their prey?

a. Who cares
b. who cares.
c. Because their prey population evolve traits that prevent them from being killed.
d. Because when prey become too scarce, the predators begin to die off also.


So the answer is D.

BUT I was stuck between those two and picked C because wouldn't the prey population evolve to survive? Or is C also true but D is a better answer?

WHY IS EVOLUTION SO DIFFICULT FOR ME

 

[pepocho]

.

 

[Czarcasm]

Why do predators usually not kill an entire population of their prey?

a. Who cares
b. who cares.
c. Because their prey population evolve traits that prevent them from being killed.
d. Because when prey become too scarce, the predators begin to die off also.


So the answer is D.

BUT I was stuck between those two and picked C because wouldn't the prey population evolve to survive? Or is C also true but D is a better answer?

WHY IS EVOLUTION SO DIFFICULT FOR ME

You should immediately recognize that evolution cannot occur within an organisms life span. It occurs gradually over a long period of time based on natural selection ("survival of the fittest"). In other words, it would take several generations for certain traits to prevail and be selected for. Simply because some prey managed to escape has nothing to do with the process of evolution. Certainly those traits obviously impart some advantage to the individual. But it's through reproduction and passing of dna over time that these characteristics get selected for. Choice D is the most reasonable answer. As prey decreases, competition increases. Predators will simply die because of starvation.