Dimalibot, Klenn Andrea R.

March 16, 2017

BIO150 U-2L Mr. MAF Rabena

Exercise 3: Natural Selection and Adaptation

Answers to the Study Questions:

1. Yes, there are noticeable trends in the changes in frequencies of phenotypic traits after
each generation. The natural selection would expected to act upon the M. variabilis
population in the grassy areas, but it would not observed in the sandy areas. Based on the
statistical analysis, since x2c>5.99, at 5% level of significance, the observed proportion of
the three individuals (green, red, and natural) are not in agreement with the expected
proportion. However, in the sandy areas, the observed proportion of the three individuals
are in the agreement with the expected ratio.
2. By the end of last round (generation), siphoning contributed the most number of offspring
on the phenotype of N. ecologicus. Those organisms that cannot compete were
considered as starved or dead.
3. Geospiza magnirostris (finches) found on the Galapagos Islands has a phenotype among
the variants within a species that has a definite advantage over the other. The Geospiza
magnirostris with small beaks are more able to consume small seeds, and Geospiza
magnirostris with large beaks are more able to consume large seeds.
4. For the M.variabilis, red color individual have the highest fitness among the three
individuals. For N. ecologicus, siphoning have the highest fitness among the three
phenotypic vatiations. Based on the experiment, individuals do not have the same fitness
in a different environment.

Siphoning will be the best fitted phenotypic trait for such environmental changed if
N.ecologicus changed into liquid chocolate.

Acording to Edler (1986), natural selection was defined as any consistent difference in
fitness among phenotypically different classes of biological entities. The fitness of
biological entity is its average per capita rate increase in number. To have a one species
considered as the fittest, the presence of variations among species are important because
fitness depend on the environment in which the population that has accumulated more
adaptive character traits in a particular environment is said to be more adapted or more
fitted to that particular environment.

5. The color of individual of M. variabilis serves as natural selection pressure in the

experiments for a two different environment. The process of natural selection at the
population level and in its changing environment was observed by the three phenotypes
of M. variabilis (green, red, and plain). In the rocky environment, it was observed that
predators caught both plain and colored (green and red) macaroni shells in almost equal
ratios. However, predators caught the red colored macaroni shells in the grassy
environment because it was more visible to their eyes. Plain and green colored macaroni
shells are frequently caught by the predators because they camouflage to the grass due to
 their color. Statistically, there would have a highly significant on natural selection for a
grassy environment, and not significant for the rocky environment.

6. No adaptation fits all environment because if a species environment changes, it is not

necessary that the species must adapt or else become extinct. Not all environmental
changes reduce population size. Nonetheless, an environmental change that does not
threaten the extinction may set up selection for change in some characteristics. Thus
white fur in polar bears may be an advantage but it is not necessary for survival (Smith
and Smith, 2009). According to Ridley (no date), adaptations are not perfect because
evolution takes time, and natural selection cannot operate as fast as the environment of a
species change.

7. A. Small organisms because they become more numerous which allow to have a larger
gene pool and reproduce eventually. So there will be more generations where the traits
are passed and evolved faster (Smith and Smith, 2009).

B. Fast reproducing organisms because they might produce more numerous generations
and it will be more possible for faster evolution occurs.

C. Short-lived organisms because there will be a greater number of generations. So there

will be more possible mutations and more exposure to each selections for every
generations (thenakedscientist, 2013).

REFERENCES:

Edler, R. 1986. Natural Selection And Adaptations . Ecology and Field Biology,4th ed. Harper
Collins Publishers, N.Y,pp.556-559.
Ridley, M.nd. Evolution - Adaptive explanation
https://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley/tutorials/Adaptive_explanation19.asp
Smith, R.L. and T.M. Smith. 2009. Evolution: Microevolution. Elements of Ecology,7th ed.
Pearson Education, Inc., pp.408-415.
The Naked Scientist: Smaller Organisms Evolve Faster
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/do-smaller-organisms-evolvefaster