Question

in the model of evolution shown above, the color pattern of each circle represents an allele for flower - height in a population of snapdragon plants in the big thicket national preserve in east texas. a forest fire severely affects the gene pool of the population.

1. what might the model population look like after several generations? complete the model using words or pictures.
2. which mechanism of evolution does the model best represent? explain your choice.

evolutionary mechanism word bank
genetic drift
gene flow
mutation
recombination

Explanation:

1. After several generations, the population might consist mostly of individuals with traits that allow them to better survive fire - such as the ability to quickly regrow or be fire - resistant. This could be represented by a population with a higher proportion of circles (representing these advantageous traits).
2. The model best represents genetic drift. A forest fire is a random, catastrophic event that drastically reduces the population size. Genetic drift is the change in the frequency of alleles in a population due to random events, especially in small populations. The fire has randomly selected which individuals survive, altering the genetic makeup of the population.

Answer:

1. The population could have a higher proportion of individuals with traits that help survive fire.
2. Genetic drift. A random, catastrophic event (fire) has reduced population size and randomly selected survivors, changing allele frequencies.