Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Rock pocket mice (
This difference is a powerful real-world example of natural selection. The color of a mouse’s fur is controlled by several genes, including one called
Researchers have tracked these populations for decades and used mathematical models to analyze how trait frequencies change over time. On the lava, the percentage of dark-furred mice increased from about 20% in the 1990s to over 85% today. The same mutation is rare in nearby sandy habitats, where light-colored mice remain well camouflaged.
Allele frequency models show this change is predictable. When one fur color provides better camouflage, mice with that coloration survive longer, pass on their genes, and gradually increase that trait’s frequency in the population. Over several generations, the frequency of the dark-fur allele rises sharply on dark surfaces, while remaining low on light sand - a textbook demonstration of how environmental pressures drive evolutionary change.
The rock pocket mouse reveals that evolution is not just something from the distant past. It’s an ongoing, measurable process happening all around us — one that scientists can observe, model mathematically, and use to explain how specific traits increase or decrease in populations over time.
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Graph of Information - Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Using Table 1, describe how the frequency of dark-furred mice changed on lava surfaces from 1995 to 2024. What does this suggest about natural selection?
According to Table 1, in what year did dark-furred mice on lava first reach over 75% of the population?
Explain why light-colored mice remain common on sandy habitats, even though the dark-fur mutation exists in nearby populations.
According to the reading, what advantage does the
Using Table 2 and Figure 2, describe how the dark-fur allele (D) frequency changes over generations on lava compared to sand. What mathematical pattern is revealed?
Does the data support the claim that camouflage color variations can drive evolutionary change in rock pocket mouse populations?
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning: