A population of rabbits grows rapidly from one year to the next. Then one year, a disease strikes approximately one fourth of the adult rabbits. The disease remains with the population in the years that follow.

As explained by Darwin’s theory, which of these conditions allows the rabbit population to evolve by natural selection?
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A. The disease affects adult and juvenile rabbits equally.

B. The disease reduces the ability of the rabbits to reproduce.

C. Some rabbits are resistant to the disease, and they pass the resistance to their offspring.

D. No rabbits are resistant to the disease, and all die when the disease strikes them.