The gradual change in a species over time is known as

• A. Evolution
• B. Variation
• C. Adaptation
• D. Fossil

Answer: (A)

Evolution is the gradual change in a population's inherited traits over generations. Through processes like mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, trait frequencies shift over time, which can lead to new adaptations and even new species. This differs from variation, which are differences among individuals within a population, and from adaptation, which is a trait that helps an organism survive in a environment and often arises through evolutionary change. Fossils provide evidence of past life and how traits or species have changed, but they are not the process itself.