Question

This item has two parts. First answer Part A. then answer Part B.

a) A species of beetles is common in a patch of woods that surround a major farming area. Farmers have noticed that the beetles have begun to feed more on the crops in the last few seasons due to warmer weather, causing an increase in the beetle population.
Part A: Which beetle (circled A, B, C, or D) variation is most likely to increase in the overall population that lives in the wooded areas around the farmland?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
Part B: Which statement best supports the answer from Part A?
A) The beetle, circled A, has an advantage of survival because it carries both traits, allowing it to survive best in either environment.
B) The beetle, circled B, is a dominant trait and therefore will always be expressed most often in a population, regardless of the environment.
C) The beetle, circled C, now has an advantage that will help it survive in the changing environment.
D) The beetle, circled D, will be more camouflaged from predators and therefore survive more often.

Answer 1

The beetle variation most likely to increase in the population is C) C. This is because beetles that feed more on the crops in warmer weather will have an advantage in survival and reproduction.

Step-by-step explanation:

Part A: The beetle variation most likely to increase in the overall population that lives in the wooded areas around the farmland would be C) C. This is because the beetles have begun to feed more on the crops in the last few seasons due to warmer weather, which would result in a higher population of the beetles that are better adapted to survive in the changing environment.

Part B: The statement that best supports the answer from Part A is C) The beetle, circled C, now has an advantage that will help it survive in the changing environment. This is because the beetle variation that feeds more on the crops in the warmer weather has an advantage in terms of finding a food source and reproducing, which would contribute to its increased population in the wooded areas around the farmland.