Which of these individuals is likely to be most successful in an evolutionary sense?

(A) a reproductively sterile individual who never falls ill

(B) an organism that dies after five days of life but leaves 10 offspring, all of whom survive to reproduce

(C) a male who mates with 20 females and fathers one offspring

(D) an organism that lives 100 years and leaves two offspring, both of whom survive to reproduce

(E) a female who mates with 20 males and produces one offspring that lives to reproduce

The correct options is B.

Explanation:

Evolution has to do with the changes that occur in a particular population of organism as a results of environmental changes and other pressure that the population is exposed to and how the organism adapt to counter the changes.

Out of all the options given in this question, the individual that is most likely to be successful in an evolutionary sense is the one describe in option B. This is because, the organism has a short life span of five days and it left behind ten children that are capable of reproducing. Evolution is a process that occur over a long period of time. So, if it an environmental change occur in the environment where the organism lives, it will be easier for the new generation and the subsequent generations of the organism to adapt to the change.

Those organisms that have long life span will not be able to adapt as easily as the organisms in options B because it will take many years and many generations for them to do that.