Which branch contains the merged changes after the Git merge occurs?

The destination branch is the correct choice because it is the branch into which changes from another branch are merged. In a Git merge operation, changes from the source branch— where the new commits or features reside—are incorporated into the destination branch, effectively integrating the new code with the existing codebase in that branch.

Typically, during a merge, the destination branch reflects the most up-to-date state after the changes from the source branch have been combined with its own contents. This is essential for maintaining a coherent project history and ensuring that features are appropriately integrated into the project.

The other branches mentioned serve specific roles in the development workflow but do not contain the merged changes post-merge. The source branch is where the changes originate, the promotion branch is usually used in the context of staging or preparing features for production, and the feature branch is specifically employed for developing a new feature before it is ready to be merged.