Question

A pond contains many different types of organisms. The table below lists some of these organisms and their methods of reproduction.

Organism Method of Reproduction
Pantala flavescens sperm and egg fusion
Spirodela polyrhiza budding
Naegleria fowleri binary fission
Hydra oligactis budding

Over time, the pond slowly becomes more acidic due to the release of chemicals from a nearby factory. Which of the organisms would most likely survive the change to their environment?

A.
Naegleria fowleri, because these organisms would have a high level of genetic variation due to asexual reproduction
B.
Hydra oligactis, because these organisms would have a low level of genetic variation due to sexual reproduction
C.
Pantala flavescens, because these organisms would have a high level of genetic variation due to sexual reproduction
D.
Spirodela polyrhiza, because these organisms would have a low level of genetic variation due to asexual reproduction

Answer 1

C.

Step-by-step explanation:

"Pantala flavescens, because these organisms would have a high level of genetic variation due to sexual reproduction"

Because they reproduce sexually they will vary genetically, and asexual reproduction is less likely to do this-- on top of this asexual reproduction is more likely to have negative effects than the latter.

Quote about asexual vs sexual reproduction:

"A disadvantage is that sexual reproduction takes longer than asexual reproduction. A mate must be found, the egg must be fertilized by sperm, and then the offspring develop. The benefit of introducing genetic variation into the species, however, outweighs this disadvantage."

Or to put it simply the more genetic variation the higher advantage to survive.

C- Pantala flavescens is your answer.