Question

This researcher proposes that natural selection on hu- mans favors individuals who die relatively early in life. His logic is that the trait of dying from VNTR mutations is beneficial and should spread because the population as a whole becomes younger and healthier as a result. Can this hypothesis be true, given that selection acts on indi- viduals? Explain.

Answer 1

The hypothesis is flawed because natural selection acts on an individual's ability to reproduce and pass on genes, and traits that lead to early death would not lead to greater reproductive success. Traits that enhance survival and reproductive rates are favored in adaptive evolution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The hypothesis that natural selection favors individuals who die early cannot be considered true because natural selection acts on individuals and their ability to reproduce and pass on their genes, not on the overall age structure of the population.

For example, the sickle-cell gene persists in populations because, while it can cause a fatal illness (sickle-cell anemia), the heterozygous condition provides a survival advantage against malaria, thereby allowing carriers to survive and reproduce