Natural Selection and Adaptation
By Magdalena Salas
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Last updated over 6 years ago
10 Questions
Note from the author:
Natural Selection and Adaptation
10
1.
Define "mutation"
Define "mutation"
10
2.
Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “Mutations are caused by selective pressure in the environment.”
Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “Mutations are caused by selective pressure in the environment.”
10
3.
Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “The same mutation could be advantageous in some environments but deleterious in others.”
Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “The same mutation could be advantageous in some environments but deleterious in others.”
10
4.
Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “The appearance of dark-colored volcanic rock caused the mutation for black fur to appear in the rock pocket mouse population.”
Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “The appearance of dark-colored volcanic rock caused the mutation for black fur to appear in the rock pocket mouse population.”
10
5.
Explain how the environment plays a role in changing the frequency of a mutant allele in a population.
Explain how the environment plays a role in changing the frequency of a mutant allele in a population.
10
6.
As you saw in the film, rock pocket mice evolved to have dark-colored fur in certain habitats. In three to five sentences, explain how this trait increased in frequency in the population. Include the following key terms: “fitness” (or “fit”), “survival” (or “survive”), “selection” (or “selective”), and “evolution” (or “evolve”).
As you saw in the film, rock pocket mice evolved to have dark-colored fur in certain habitats. In three to five sentences, explain how this trait increased in frequency in the population. Include the following key terms: “fitness” (or “fit”), “survival” (or “survive”), “selection” (or “selective”), and “evolution” (or “evolve”).
10
7.
Near the end of the film, Dr. Sean B. Carroll states that “while mutation is random, natural selection is not.” In your own words, explain how this is possible.
Near the end of the film, Dr. Sean B. Carroll states that “while mutation is random, natural selection is not.” In your own words, explain how this is possible.
10
8.
Suppose you are studying a recently discovered population of rock pocket mice with dark-colored fur that lives on volcanic rock. You take a DNA sample from a member of this new population and determine the DNA sequence of a gene known to play a role in fur color. The sequence you get is identical to that of the same gene in another rock pocket mouse population with dark-colored fur that lives on a different patch of volcanic rock. Which of the following could explain this observation?
Suppose you are studying a recently discovered population of rock pocket mice with dark-colored fur that lives on volcanic rock. You take a DNA sample from a member of this new population and determine the DNA sequence of a gene known to play a role in fur color. The sequence you get is identical to that of the same gene in another rock pocket mouse population with dark-colored fur that lives on a different patch of volcanic rock. Which of the following could explain this observation?
Suppose you are studying a new population of rock pocket mice in Arizona. These mice live on a recently discovered patch of dark-colored volcanic rock. This environment does not have nearly as many visual predators as in previously studied areas in New Mexico. You observed the following numbers of light- and dark-colored mice on this new patch of rock.
10
9.
In one or two sentences, summarize the data presented in the graph.
In one or two sentences, summarize the data presented in the graph.
10
10.
Provide one possible hypothesis that would explain the observed data. Be sure to include the following key words in your answer: “selection” (or “selective”), “fitness” (or “fit”), and “survival” (or “survive”).
Provide one possible hypothesis that would explain the observed data. Be sure to include the following key words in your answer: “selection” (or “selective”), “fitness” (or “fit”), and “survival” (or “survive”).