Which premise holds that all aspects of an organism have been molded by natural selection to optimize reproductive success?

• A. Reductionism
• B. Kin selection
• C. Adaptationism
• D. Group selection

Answer: (C)

Adaptationism is the view that the features of organisms are shaped by natural selection to maximize reproductive success. This perspective explains traits by their usefulness in survival and reproduction, implying that most aspects of an organism exist because they improve fitness in the environment. In other words, traits are interpreted as adaptations with functions that increase reproductive success, which is exactly what the premise is claiming.

Reductionism focuses on breaking systems into parts rather than asserting that all traits evolved for reproductive benefit. Kin selection explains how helping relatives can spread shared genes, a mechanism for certain behaviors but not a blanket claim about all traits fitting optimization for reproduction. Group selection argues that selection can act at the group level, which is a different level of selection and not the universal claim about traits being optimized for individual reproductive success.