Question

all of these are examples of random evolutionary processes except
a.
an earthquake divides a single elk species into two populations, forcing
them to no longer interbreed.

b.
a mutation in a flower plant results in a new variety.

c.
an especially long winter causes a group of migrating birds to shift their
home range.

d.
a mutation results in a population of trees that spread their seeds more
widely than their peers, causing their population to grow.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: An earthquake dividing a species (geographic isolation) is a random evolutionary process (genetic drift via founder effect or bottleneck - random event).
• Option B: Mutations are random changes in DNA, so a mutation creating a new flower variety is a random evolutionary process.
• Option C: A long winter (a random environmental event) causing birds to shift range is a random evolutionary process (can lead to genetic changes due to new environment, random selection pressure).
• Option D: The mutation here gives a survival/reproductive advantage (spreading seeds more widely helps population grow), so this is natural selection, which is a non - random process as it favors traits that increase fitness.

Answer:

D. a mutation results in a population of trees that spread their seeds more widely than their peers, causing their population to grow.