EVOLUTION

1. The chances of any one individual being born with a beneficial mutation is very low. How then is it possible for mutations to play such a key role in evolution?

Mutations can play such a key role because if farmers are able to see an individual being born with a beneficial mutation, they can then capitalize on that. They can breed that individual for severaal generations in hopes of producing more individuals with that mutation therefore allowing that individual to evolve. After allowing the individual to evolve and have that mutation, eventually all individuals of that same species can have that mutation.

 

2. How might it be possible for a neutral mutation to play such an important role in the evolution of a species?

A neutral gene may go unnoticed because it may not have any effect on the individual. However eventually after several generations that neutral mutation may prove to be beneficial. For example if an organism has a mutation that makes it resistant to the cold and the organism lives in a hot climate, that mutation would have virtually no effect on the organism. However if somehow that organism moves to a cold climate, that neutral mutation would prove to be a beneficial mutation allowing the organism to survive.

 

3. Explain why harmful mutations do not accumulate over time and cause harm to populations.

Harmful mutations don’t accumulate over time because farmers are able to isolate those individuals. For example if a farmer discovers an individual in his/her field that has a harmful mutation, they can either kill that individual or just isolate them and ensure they don’t breed with other plants or animals. That way the harmful mutation won't end up evolving with the population and it won't end up harming more individuals.

 

4. Use the evolution of antibiotic resistance to show how a mutation that is advantageous for one species can be harmful for another.

A mutation can be both advantageous for one species and harmful to another. For example, bacteria and some infections were easily killed through the use of antibiotics. However, over time those bacteria because resistant to the antibiotics and not some bacteria and infections cannot be killed using antibiotics. This is an example where evolution is beneficial for one species and harmful to another. The bacteria were able to develop resistance to the antibiotics which is an advantage to them however now humans cannot use those antibiotics to kill those bacteria's resulting in them being more prone to diseases. That makes the evolution of bacteria harmful to humans.

 

5. Most wolves look quite similar. Use the domestication of dogs to illustrate the genetic diversity that is contained within the wolf population.

Breeders were able to use traits that they found favourable with certain wolves by cross breeding those wolves and creating wolves and dogs with several different shapes and sizes as well as physical attributes.

 

6. All domestication of plants and animals begin with selecting a wild species living nearby. Use the internet and other sources to research where each of the following domesticated species originated.

Chicken- Chickens originated from Southeast Asia

Rice- Rice also originated from Asia mainly Eastern India to Burma

Corn- Corn originated from Mesoamerica which is an area from Central Mexico to Belize.