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In response to the statement "Natural selection will still occur if individuals are exactly the same," the correct answer is FALSE.
Here's why:
1. Natural selection relies on variation within a population. If individuals are exactly the same, there is no genetic diversity for natural selection to act upon.
2. Natural selection works by favoring certain traits that provide advantages in a given environment, leading those individuals to have more offspring with the same beneficial traits. This process drives evolution over time.
3. Without variation, there would be no differential survival and reproduction based on advantageous traits, which is essential for natural selection to occur.
Therefore, for natural selection to operate and drive evolutionary change, there must be genetic variation among individuals in a population. If everyone is identical, there would be no basis for natural selection to favor specific traits, making the statement FALSE.