1) A population of hares live in northern canada. Most of the hares in this popu
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Question
1) A population of hares live in northern canada. Most of the hares in this population have white fur, while a few have some brown coloring in their fur. Over a 100 year period the climate warms, resulting in much less snow and ice in the ecosystem where the hares live. After 100 years the majority of hares in this population now have brown coloring in their fur, while only a few are completely white. Explain how the hare population evolved through the process of natural selection. What is the beneficial trait at the end of the 100 year period? How was differential reproduction involved? What was the selection pressure?
2) A hypothetical bird species is purple due to a purple pigment in their feathers. A random mutation in the gene that codes for the purple pigment protein results in one individual white bird. Explain the connection between genes, proteins and traits using the example. Make sure you explain each step. What is the name of the dogma that explains the connection?
3) You hear about a new amazing fertilizer called SuperGro. The company selling it claims using this fertilizer will double your tomato harvest! Sounds great but as a skeptical consumer you ask for a sample so that you can conduct an experiement in your garden before you buy a big bag of this fertilizer. User your knowledge of the scientic method to:
- state a good hypothesis for your fertilizer
- describe the experiement you would conduct
- identify the control and experimental groups/treatments
- identify the dependent and independent variables
- name two controlled variables
- make up hypothetical results
- state a conclusion
Explanation / Answer
1) Evolution basically means development which is a slow stage process that depends on adaptation to different environments. If an organism is adapting to a new environment then it will be reflected in its genes and that is passed on to its generations.
Changes are continuously happening to evolve better and better. So environmental factors play a major role in evolution.
Natural selection is based on the fact that individuals which can survive and reproduce at any given environment is the most fit. Hence, all the individuals in a population selected by natural selection will be most fit which can pass on its traits to next generation to increase the population size.
Adaptation to new environment or to any given environment, the changes need to be at the genetic level where mutation occurs. A change or mutation brings about a new trait which can adapt to new environment. Hence, natural selection preserves that trait or genetic variation by selecting that best fit individual from other non-adaptable traits. And, it directly means that it preserves more genetic variation or traits which are called survival of the fittest.
Most of the hares initially had white fur because the climate is not warm and as they need better exposure to absorb sunlight, melanin production was less or nil (White fur). After 100 years, when climate change has occured, the climate become warmer. So, in order to protect from harmful UV rays of sunlight, melanin production increased and it resulted in brown fur.
Therefore, brown fur is beneficial trait at the end of the 100 year period. And, the selection pressure is the climate change.
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