What is the ultimate source of all diversity?

c.mutation

Mutation makes new alleles. We also use the word "mutation" to describe other DNA-altering events.

I reject the others because:

a. natural selection - does not produce new alleles.

b. meiosis - does not produce new alleles, and did not produce diversity in asexual organisms.

d.crossing over- does not produce new alleles, and did not produce diversity in asexual organisms.

e.sexual recombination - does not produce new alleles, and did not produce diversity in asexual organisms.

Edit: The other responders have missed the point of the question. Tigris is correct about the diversity of environments, but without mutation which makes new alleles, there wouldn't be any new traits to be sorted by natural selection to make better "fit" organisms for those diverse environments.

"Entropy" is not a good answer for this question.

If you answer "God did it" then you're not scientist material. Inquiry stops with "God did it." Creationists typically do not look for evidence of God -- because faith means "belief without evidence."

f. None of the above. Words used in this question seek origin,

especially 'ultimate'. Recombination requires preexisting parents. Meiosis and mutation each require a host cell, and natural selection requires whole organisms. Crossing over is a process of chromosome interchange during meiosis, so must also be disqualified. With all due respect to Michael, entropy is merely a measure, not a source. Like it or not, diversity is part of design, and design implies a plan which requires intelligent thought. Therefore, God must be the only correct answer.

The source of diversity is the diversity of possible habitats found on earth. If there was only one habitat which would extend homogeneously all over the earth and would not vary in temperature, nutrients etc, there would be very low diversity.

If I would have to pick something from that list it would be natural selection. As with some latitude one could regard the diversity of habitats as the source of natural selection.

c

entropy