Natural selection is the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change.
An example of this is the peppered moth, which maintained it's ability to camouflage itself (hide in it's environment) through natural selection of darker colored wings in response to a darkening of it's environment.
Which of the following would be another example of natural selection? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
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4 points
an increase in insecticide resistant insects
deer mice evolving lighter colored fur to better blend into their surroundings
a human gaining 20 pounds of muscle through diet and exercise
chicks dyed spring colors by humans
an increase in insecticide resistant insects
deer mice evolving lighter colored fur to better blend into their surroundings
an increase in insecticide resistant insects
deer mice evolving lighter colored fur to better blend into their surroundings
An increase in insecticide resistant insects and deer mice evolving lighter colored fur to better blend into their surroundings would both be examples of natural selection.
To determine which of the options are examples of natural selection, we need to understand the key concepts of natural selection. Natural selection involves the process of advantageous traits becoming more common in a population over time, due to their ability to improve survival and reproductive success.
1. An increase in insecticide resistant insects: This is an example of natural selection. When insects are exposed to insecticides, those with preexisting traits that make them resistant have a higher chance of survival and reproduction. Over time, these resistant traits become more prevalent in the population.
2. Deer mice evolving lighter colored fur to better blend into their surroundings: This is another example of natural selection. If the environment becomes lighter in color, such as due to snow cover, deer mice with lighter fur have a higher chance of avoiding predators and surviving to reproduce. As a result, lighter-furred individuals become more common in the population.
3. A human gaining 20 pounds of muscle through diet and exercise: This is not an example of natural selection. Natural selection acts on populations over generations, not within an individual's lifetime. Individual changes due to diet and exercise are not passed on to offspring and do not affect the genetic composition of a population.
4. Chicks dyed spring colors by humans: This is not an example of natural selection. Natural selection involves the process of traits being naturally selected in response to environmental pressures, not artificially induced changes made by humans.
Therefore, the options that are examples of natural selection are: an increase in insecticide resistant insects and deer mice evolving lighter colored fur to better blend into their surroundings.