Question

Thomas Malthus's 1798 work, "Essay on the Principle of Population," greatly influenced Darwin. Which of the following statements best summarizes Malthus's idea?
A. People reproduce much more quickly than their resources do. This results in competition for food and space, and in suffering and death.
B. Individuals with better competitive abilities are more likely to survive and pass their genes to the next generation.
C. The size of human populations, similar to animal populations, is directly determined by the carrying capacity of the environment.
D. Isolated populations of organisms, such as Darwin's finches on the Galápagos Islands, tend to differentiate into new species to fill different niches.
E. Animals are able to pass to their offspring characteristics that were acquired in their lifetimes.

Answer 1

Answer:

A. People reproduce much more quickly than their resources do. This results in competition for food and space, and in suffering and death.

Explanation:

Thomas Malthus explained that the populations mostly exhibit geometric growth rates. However, this high rate of population growth results in a population size that cannot be supported by the available resources. The scarcity of resources and requirements for the same resources results in competition for the limited resources and struggle among the organisms. These negative interactions keep the population size in check.