Table of contents

1. Introduction to Biology2h 42m
2. Chemistry3h 37m
3. Water1h 26m
4. Biomolecules2h 23m
5. Cell Components2h 26m
6. The Membrane2h 31m
7. Energy and Metabolism2h 0m
8. Respiration2h 40m
9. Photosynthesis2h 49m
10. Cell Signaling59m
11. Cell Division2h 47m
12. Meiosis2h 0m
13. Mendelian Genetics4h 44m
14. DNA Synthesis2h 27m
15. Gene Expression3h 6m
16. Regulation of Expression3h 31m
17. Viruses37m
- Viruses
  37m
18. Biotechnology2h 58m
19. Genomics17m
- Genomes
  17m
20. Development1h 5m
21. Evolution3h 1m
22. Evolution of Populations3h 53m
23. Speciation1h 37m
24. History of Life on Earth2h 6m
25. Phylogeny2h 31m
26. Prokaryotes4h 59m
27. Protists1h 12m
28. Plants1h 22m
29. Fungi36m
- Fungi
  19m
- Fungi Reproduction
  17m
30. Overview of Animals34m
- Overview of Animals
  34m
31. Invertebrates1h 2m
32. Vertebrates50m
33. Plant Anatomy1h 3m
34. Vascular Plant Transport1h 2m
- Water Potential
  1h 2m
35. Soil37m
- Soil and Nutrients
  20m
- Nitrogen Fixation
  16m
36. Plant Reproduction47m
- Flowers
  33m
- Seeds
  14m
37. Plant Sensation and Response1h 9m
38. Animal Form and Function1h 19m
39. Digestive System1h 10m
- Digestion
  1h 3m
- Blood Sugar Homeostasis
  7m
40. Circulatory System1h 49m
41. Immune System1h 12m
42. Osmoregulation and Excretion50m
- Osmoregulation and Excretion
  50m
43. Endocrine System1h 4m
- Endocrine System
  1h 4m
44. Animal Reproduction1h 2m
- Animal Reproduction
  1h 2m
45. Nervous System1h 55m
- Neurons and Action Potentials
  1h 8m
- Central and Peripheral Nervous System
  46m
46. Sensory Systems46m
- Sensory System
  46m
47. Muscle Systems23m
- Musculoskeletal System
  23m
48. Ecology3h 11m
49. Animal Behavior28m
- Animal Behavior
  28m
50. Population Ecology3h 41m
51. Community Ecology2h 46m
52. Ecosystems2h 36m
53. Conservation Biology24m
- Conservation Biology
  24m

21. Evolution

Introduction to Evolution and Natural Selection

General Biology

21. Evolution

Introduction to Evolution and Natural Selection

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2:52 minutes

Problem 12

Textbook Question

What is an evolutionary adaptation?
a. A trait that improves the fitness of its bearer, compared with individuals without the trait
b. A trait that changes in response to environmental influences within the individual's lifetime
c. The ability of an individual to adjust to its environment
d. A trait that an individual wants so that it can survive

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the concept of evolutionary adaptation: It refers to a heritable trait that increases the fitness of an organism, meaning it enhances the organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Consider the context of the problem: The beach-dwelling mice have developed white fur, which is a heritable trait. This trait likely provides a survival advantage by helping them blend into their sandy environment, thus avoiding predators.

Evaluate each option: a) A trait that improves the fitness of its bearer, compared with individuals without the trait, aligns with the definition of an evolutionary adaptation. b) A trait that changes in response to environmental influences within the individual's lifetime is more akin to acclimatization, not adaptation. c) The ability of an individual to adjust to its environment describes phenotypic plasticity, not a genetic adaptation. d) A trait that an individual wants so that it can survive is not a scientific explanation for adaptation.

Identify the correct option: Based on the definition and context, option a) is the correct description of an evolutionary adaptation.

Conclude with the understanding that evolutionary adaptations are traits that have been naturally selected because they confer a survival or reproductive advantage in a specific environment.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Evolutionary Adaptation

An evolutionary adaptation is a heritable trait that enhances the fitness of an organism, allowing it to survive and reproduce more effectively in its environment. This trait is developed over generations through natural selection, where advantageous traits become more common in a population. In the context of the mice, the white fur is an adaptation that helps them blend into the sandy environment, reducing predation.

Natural Selection

Natural selection is the process by which organisms with traits better suited to their environment tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than others. This mechanism drives the evolution of species, as advantageous traits become more prevalent over generations. In the case of the Florida mice, natural selection favors those with fur color that provides camouflage, enhancing their survival against predators.

Genetic Heritability

Genetic heritability refers to the proportion of variation in a trait that can be attributed to genetic differences among individuals in a population. Traits like fur color in mice are passed down from parents to offspring through genes, such as MC1R, which influence pigmentation. Heritability ensures that beneficial adaptations, like the white fur of beach-dwelling mice, are transmitted across generations.

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Which of the following taxonomic levels contains organisms that share the most recent common ancestor?

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Most mice living on the mainland of Florida are brown, but the mice that live on the sand dunes of the barrier islands have white fur. The differences in color are heritable, determined by genes such as MC1R. It is intuitive that the light color of beach-dwelling mice is an adaptation for blending into their environment—and thus evading predators.Compare how evolution by inheritance of acquired characters and the theory of evolution by natural selection would explain the observation of white mice living primarily on light soil and brown mice living primarily on dark soil.

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How can the Darwinian concept of descent with modification explain the evolution of such complex structures as an eye?

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Textbook Question

Most mice living on the mainland of Florida are brown, but the mice that live on the sand dunes of the barrier islands have white fur. The differences in color are heritable, determined by genes such as MC1R. It is intuitive that the light color of beach-dwelling mice is an adaptation for blending into their environment—and thus evading predators. Apply Darwin's four postulates to a population of mice living on sand dunes in coastal Florida.

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Textbook Question

A team led by evolutionary biologist Hopi Hoekstra set out to test the hypothesis that predators are an agent of natural selection on mouse color. They made 250 plasticine models of mice that were alike in every way except that half were painted white and half were painted brown. Suggest one advantage and one disadvantage of using model mice instead of real mice in this experiment.

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Textbook Question

A population of snails is preyed on by birds that break the snails open on rocks, eat the soft bodies, and leave the shells. The snails occur in both striped and unstriped forms. In one area, researchers counted both live snails and broken shells. Their data are summarized below: Which snail form seems better adapted to this environment? Why? Predict how the frequencies of striped and unstriped snails might change in the future.

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