The farmer will purchase his chickens from a breeder who has been developing a breed for several years. When the breeder first started to develop his breed, he considered several traits that lead to successful egg-laying chickens. The traits are listed in the table.
Egg-Laying Chicken Traits
number of eggs produced
egg shell quality
egg size
temperament of the chicken
age when egg production begins
Which statement best describes how the breeder influenced the inheritance of traits in his breeding population?
A.
The breeder was likely able to eliminate undesired traits and increase the desired traits in his chicken population over an extended period of time.
B.
The breeder was likely able to eliminate undesired traits and increase the desired traits in his chicken population over a very short period of time.
C.
The breeder likely did not influence the inheritance of traits because that can only done through natural selection.
D.
The breeder likely changed all of the inheritable traits of the chickens because he could not select for certain traits.
A. The breeder was likely able to eliminate undesired traits and increase the desired traits in his chicken population over an extended period of time.
By selectively breeding chickens with the desired traits, the breeder would have been able to influence the inheritance of traits in his breeding population over time, gradually improving the overall quality of the breed. This process would require patience and consistent breeding practices to achieve the desired results.