A gardener plants several flowering plants of the same species and notices that about 10% of the plants produce larger flowers than the others. He keeps track of the distribution of flower sizes over several years as shown in the table below. What explains these observations?
A. Random chance led to the distribution of flower sizes.
B. Overproduction of offspring resulted in more offspring deaths of the plants with smaller flowers.
C. Speciation occurred because variation was present in the population.
D. Natural selection occurred, causing a shift in the distribution of traits within a species.
I think the answer is D.
It's ya think though i would like a for sure!
The observations of 10% of the plants producing larger flowers could potentially be explained by option D, natural selection. Natural selection is the process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population over time due to their impact on survival and reproduction. In this case, if larger flowers provide an advantage to the plants, such as attracting more pollinators or producing more seeds, then plants with larger flowers may have a higher reproductive success. Over multiple generations, this could lead to a shift in the distribution of flower sizes within the species, with more plants having larger flowers.
To explain these observations, we need to consider the principles of evolution and natural selection. The distribution of flower sizes suggests that there is variation within the population of flowering plants. This variation might arise due to genetic differences among individuals or environmental factors.
Option A suggests that random chance led to the distribution of flower sizes. While random factors can introduce variation, they alone do not explain the consistent pattern observed over several years.
Option B proposes that overproduction of offspring resulted in more offspring deaths of the plants with smaller flowers. This mechanism is known as "survival of the fittest." If a plant produces more offspring than can be sustained by available resources, competition for resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients becomes intense. The fittest individuals with advantageous traits, such as larger flowers, are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to a shift in the distribution of flower sizes. However, the given information does not provide evidence of offspring deaths or overproduction, so option B is less likely.
Option C mentions speciation occurring due to variation in the population. Speciation is a process by which new species arise from existing ones. While the given information shows variation, it does not indicate the development of distinct species. Hence, option C is not a suitable explanation.
Finally, option D suggests that natural selection occurred, causing a shift in the distribution of traits within a species. Natural selection is the process by which advantageous traits are favored and become more common in a population over time. In this case, the larger flower size is advantageous and confers a higher probability of reproductive success. As a result, the proportion of plants with larger flowers increases, leading to the observed distribution. Given the available information, option D seems to be the most plausible explanation.
So, the most likely explanation for the observations is that natural selection occurred, causing a shift in the distribution of traits within the species.