wild oats (avena fatua) is a type of grass that grows up to 4 feet tall. wild oats typically grow in fields and prairies. they are an invasive species throughout much of north america, where their rapid growth threatens populations of native grasses. scientists examined the distribution of phenotypic traits in two wild oat populations. they compared the characteristics of two populations of wild oats growing in separate prairies. prairie a was flat and had moist soil with high levels of precipitation and low soil drainage. this prairie was dominated by native grasses. prairie b was sloping and had dry, sandy soil and low levels of precipitation. this prairie was dominated by the wild oat population. the researchers first examined the distribution of the colors of the seeds produced by oats in both populations. the color of the seeds produced by oats varies among black, brown, and gray, and these colors are heritable. the table below gives the seed color distribution for both populations.

| seed color | prairie a | prairie b |
|------------|-----------|-----------|
| black | 46% | 14% |
| brown | 22% | 68% |
| gray | 32% | 18% |

the researchers hypothesize that seed color does not impact the reproductive success of individual oat plants. based on this hypothesis, what should they expect to observe if they sample the distribution of seed colors in both populations two years from now?

a. the trait distribution in prairie a should become more similar to that in prairie b because the oats in prairie b have higher fitness.
b. the trait distribution in each population may change in any direction because natural selection would not have acted upon seed color.
c. the trait distribution in prairie b will further diverge from that in prairie a because the conditions in these environments are so different.
d. the trait distribution in each population should remain exactly the same because seed color would not have been acted by any selective pressures.

Question

wild oats (avena fatua) is a type of grass that grows up to 4 feet tall. wild oats typically grow in fields and prairies. they are an invasive species throughout much of north america, where their rapid growth threatens populations of native grasses. scientists examined the distribution of phenotypic traits in two wild oat populations. they compared the characteristics of two populations of wild oats growing in separate prairies. prairie a was flat and had moist soil with high levels of precipitation and low soil drainage. this prairie was dominated by native grasses. prairie b was sloping and had dry, sandy soil and low levels of precipitation. this prairie was dominated by the wild oat population. the researchers first examined the distribution of the colors of the seeds produced by oats in both populations. the color of the seeds produced by oats varies among black, brown, and gray, and these colors are heritable. the table below gives the seed color distribution for both populations.

| seed color | prairie a | prairie b |
|------------|-----------|-----------|
| black      | 46%       | 14%       |
| brown      | 22%       | 68%       |
| gray       | 32%       | 18%       |

the researchers hypothesize that seed color does not impact the reproductive success of individual oat plants. based on this hypothesis, what should they expect to observe if they sample the distribution of seed colors in both populations two years from now?

a. the trait distribution in prairie a should become more similar to that in prairie b because the oats in prairie b have higher fitness.
b. the trait distribution in each population may change in any direction because natural selection would not have acted upon seed color.
c. the trait distribution in prairie b will further diverge from that in prairie a because the conditions in these environments are so different.
d. the trait distribution in each population should remain exactly the same because seed color would not have been acted by any selective pressures.

Accepted Answer

# Brief Explanations:
The hypothesis is that seed color does not impact reproductive success. If this is true, natural selection (which acts on traits affecting fitness) would not act on seed color. So the trait distribution (seed color percentages) in each population could change randomly (in any direction) over time, as there's no selection pressure favoring a particular seed color.

- Option A: The hypothesis states seed color doesn't affect fitness, so Prairie A's distribution wouldn't become more like Prairie B's (no reason for that similarity).
- Option C: Different environments would lead to divergence only if there was selection, but the hypothesis says seed color doesn't impact fitness, so selection on seed color isn't occurring.
- Option D: Without selection on seed color, random factors (genetic drift, etc.) would likely change the distribution, not keep it exactly the same.

Only Option B aligns with the hypothesis: if seed color doesn't affect reproductive success, natural selection doesn't act on it, so the trait distribution can change in any direction (due to other random or non - selection - based factors).
# Answer:
B. The trait distribution in each population may change in any direction because natural selection would not have acted upon seed color

Sovi.AI - AI Math Tutor

QUESTION IMAGE

Question

Explanation:

Answer: