Question

Written-Response Question #1


Guppies are small fish that live in South American rivers. They can have different-sized spots on their bodies. The river bottoms are covered in rocks. Guppies with spots that are the same size as the rocks on the bottom are harder for bigger fish to see and catch. The diagram above shows a population of guppies that lived in a river. Scientists had previously only seen guppies with medium or large spots in this river; they had never seen any guppies with any other spot sizes. The diagram below shows how the population changed after many generations.


• Karina says the change in the guppy population was caused by a mutation.


• Miles says the change was caused by a change in the environment.


• Zora thinks both Karina and Miles are correct.


Who do you think is right? Explain what happened to the guppies over many generations

Answer 1

The statement 'Karina says the change in the guppy population was caused by a mutation' is correct. Mutations change the frequency of phenotypic traits in a population across generations.

What is evolution?

The word 'evolution' refers to descendence with modification which especially happens due to the process of natural selection.

The mutations in the genetic material serve as raw material for natural selection and consequently for evolution.

In this case, Karina must be right because the change in the frequency of the phenotype can be caused by the emergence of beneficial mutations in individuals that live in a given environment.

These types of mutations (beneficial mutations) can fix and increase their frequency across generations.

Learn more about evolution and mutations here:

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