Antibiotic resistance occurs when drugs or chemicals used to treat an illness become less effective. Some varieties of Neisseria gonorrhoeae have become resistant to the antibiotic penicillin. Which of the following best explains how the bacteria became resistant?

(A) The bacteria experienced hybrid vigor through gaining improved traits from their parents.
(B) Through natural selection, bacteria with a random mutation that provided resistance survived and multiplied to create more bacteria.
(C) The bacteria were influenced by other species in their environment through coevolution.
(D) The bacteria evolved to fill different niches from other species in the environment through adaptive radiation.