Question

Science:

Dr. Alex Young would like to know about your progress in solving the mystery about the rough-skinned newts. In the space below, answer the Chapter 1 Question: What caused this newt population to become more poisonous?

Use what you have learned so far to consider these claims:

Claim 1: Individual newts became more poisonous because they wanted to.
Claim 2: The newt population became more poisonous because of something in the environment.
Revised Claim 2: The newt population became more poisonous because the snakes in this environment caused poison to be an adaptive trait

Choose one or more claims to support with evidence and reasoning. You may also want to explain why one or more of the claims is definitely not correct.

Be sure to use some of the vocabulary words you have learned so far:

adaptive trait
distribution
environment
non-adaptive trait
population
trait
variation

Answer 1

Hi Dr. Young,

I've been working on the mystery of the rough-skinned newts, and I think I've made some progress.

First, let's consider the three claims you gave me:

**Claim 1: Individual newts became more poisonous because they wanted to.**

This is definitely not correct. Newts are not capable of wanting anything. They are animals, and they do not have the capacity for conscious thought or decision-making.

**Claim 2: The newt population became more poisonous because of something in the environment.**

This is a possibility. For example, the newts might have been exposed to a toxin that made them more poisonous. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.

**Revised Claim 2: The newt population became more poisonous because the snakes in this environment caused poison to be an adaptive trait.**

This is the most likely explanation. Snakes are predators, and they eat newts. If newts are poisonous, snakes are less likely to eat them. This means that poisonous newts are more likely to survive and reproduce. Over time, this will lead to a population of newts that are all poisonous.

This is an example of **natural selection**. Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. Over time, this can lead to changes in the population, such as the evolution of new traits.

In the case of the rough-skinned newts, the trait of being poisonous is an adaptive trait. It helps the newts to survive by making them less likely to be eaten by snakes. This is why the newt population has become more poisonous over time.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Step-by-step explanation:

The newt population became more poisonous because the snakes in this environment caused poison to be an adaptive trait. This is because snakes are predators, and they eat newts. If newts are poisonous, snakes are less likely to eat them. This means that poisonous newts are more likely to survive and reproduce. Over time, this will lead to a population of newts that are all poisonous.

This is an example of natural selection. Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. Over time, this can lead to changes in the population, such as the evolution of new traits.

In the case of the rough-skinned newts, the trait of being poisonous is an adaptive trait. It helps the newts to survive by making them less likely to be eaten by snakes. This is why the newt population has become more poisonous over time.

Here is some evidence to support this claim:

* Studies have shown that snakes that live in areas with poisonous newts are less likely to eat newts.

* Newts that are more poisonous are more likely to survive and reproduce.

* The population of poisonous newts has been increasing over time.

This evidence suggests that the snakes in this environment have caused poison to be an adaptive trait in the newt population.