Question

In the accompanying figure of Jones and Reithel's work with snapdragons, what is the most likely outcome if these plants were in a natural setting?

1) yellow flowers will continue to increase in frequency, as compared to white flowers, over time.

2) Because the yellow trait is recessive, yellow flowers will ultimately take over the population.


3) Yellow and white flowers will oscillate in frequencies, depending on environmental conditions such as rainfall.

4) A 2% change is too small to be significant, so yellow and white flowers will remain in roughly equal percentages in future generations.

Answer 1

The frequencies of yellow and white snapdragon flowers in a natural setting will likely oscillate based on environmental factors and selective pressures.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely outcome if snapdragons with yellow (recessive) and white (dominant) flowers were in a natural setting would be scenario three, where yellow and white flowers will oscillate in frequencies, depending on environmental conditions such as rainfall. In incomplete dominance, the phenotype of the offspring is a blend of the two parents - for example, red and white alleles produce pink flowers in snapdragons. However, environmental conditions play a critical role in the survival and reproductive success of plants with different flower colors, which can lead to fluctuations in their respective frequencies within a population.

Selection pressure, such as preferential pollination by bees, could also significantly affect which flower colors become more prevalent over time. If yellow flowers attract more pollinators or if white flowers camouflage better against predators, their frequency may increase or decrease, respectively, reflecting the influence of natural selection. Therefore, without more context on environmental and ecological factors, expecting yellow and white flowers to remain at roughly equal percentages or for one to overtake the other entirely is not justified.