A)
Consider a flower population that produces different sizes of blooms and depends on bees for reproduction Large blooms attract larger bees, small blooms attract smaller bees. Describe how changes in the bee population might lead to disruptive, stabilizing, and directional selection in the flowers
Changes in the bee population can have significant impacts on the flower population through selective pressures.
1. Disruptive selection: If the bee population experiences a decrease in the number of smaller bees due to a disease or competition from other species, this could lead to disruptive selection in the flowers. With fewer smaller bees available to pollinate the small blooms, these flowers may struggle to reproduce and survive. Meanwhile, the large blooms may see an increase in pollination by the remaining larger bees, leading to an increase in the proportion of flowers with large blooms in the population.
2. Stabilizing selection: On the other hand, if the bee population remains stable and maintains a balance between large and small bees, this may lead to stabilizing selection in the flowers. Both large and small blooms will continue to attract bees of varying sizes, ensuring successful pollination and reproduction for both types of flowers. This stability in the bee population would likely result in a balanced distribution of flower sizes within the population.
3. Directional selection: If the bee population experiences an increase in the number of larger bees due to favorable environmental conditions or the decline of predators, this could lead to directional selection in the flowers. With more large bees available for pollination, the flowers with large blooms may see an advantage in reproduction and survival. Over time, this could lead to an increase in the proportion of large blooms in the flower population as they are more successful in attracting and being pollinated by the larger bees.