AP BIOLOGY

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EVOLUTION

DARWIN’S THEORY OF NATURAL SELECTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
A population of rabbits grows rapidly from one year to the next. Then one year, a disease strikes approximately one fourth of the adult rabbits. The disease remains with the population in the years that follow.As explained by Darwin’s theory, which of these conditions allows the rabbit population to evolve by natural selection?
A
The disease affects adult and juvenile rabbits equally.
B
The disease reduces the ability of the rabbits to reproduce.
C
Some rabbits are resistant to the disease, and they pass the resistance to their offspring.
D
No rabbits are resistant to the disease, and all die when the disease strikes them.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Natural selection would affect these rabbits by making the populations each more adapt to eating the food source available. For example, if one island has mainly leafy greens as their food source, then the rabbits could develop more flattened molars to aid with the grinding of chewing.

Detailed explanation-2: -The probability of rabbit offspring inheriting bioluminescence would decrease over time because the slow-glow gene would increase the likelihood that glowing rabbits are preyed on by predators. This means there would be fewer surviving parents who can pass on the slow-glow trait to offspring.

Detailed explanation-3: -So, the correct answer is ‘Individuals with the most favorable traits survive and reproduce’

Detailed explanation-4: -Because they are able to live, brown rabbits can reproduce more successfully than white rabbits. And they will give birth to more brown rabbits because the trait for color is inherited. But there is variation in the population, so brown rabbits will sometimes give birth to white rabbits.

There is 1 question to complete.
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