According to the "Red Queen" Hypothesis, what happens to organisms that do not adapt?

The "Red Queen" Hypothesis posits that organisms must constantly adapt and evolve not just for reproductive advantage but also to survive in a continuously changing environment, which includes the pressures imposed by other organisms, such as predators, parasites, and competitors. The hypothesis draws its name from the character in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass," who indicates that it takes all the running one can do, to stay in the same place; to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast.

In this context, the correct understanding is that if organisms do not adapt to their environment and the evolutionary changes occurring around them, they face a heightened risk of extinction. This is because they are unable to cope with challenges like shifting climate conditions, new diseases, or competitors that are evolving more rapidly. Thus, the loss of adaptability directly correlates with decreased survival prospects, leading to potential extinction.

The other options point to outcomes that imply success, progress, or stabilization in an organism's status, which contrast with the foundational principle of the "Red Queen" Hypothesis. For instance, flourishing and thriving would suggest stability or advantage without the need for adaptation, which contradicts the idea of constant evolutionary pressure. Beneficial mutations imply an ongoing process of adaptation