Question

Last year, a population of fruit flies consisted of equal percentages of red-eyed and white-eyed individuals. This year, the population consists of 90% red-eyed and 10% white-eyedindividuals. Assuming eye color is an inherited trait, which of the following best explains why scientists observed this change in the percentages of the variations present in the flypopulation?A.White-eyed flies produced more white-eyed offspring than red-eyed flies.B.White-eyed flies lived longer than the red-eyed flies.C.Red-eyed flies outcompeted white-eyed flies for resources.D.Red-eyed flies came from mutated white-eyed flies.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

White eye color is a mutant phenotype in Drosophila, caused by a mutation in a gene in the pigment pathway. This mutation was discovered in 1910 by Thomas Hunt Morgan and Lilian Vaughan Morgan. Notice that Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies usually have dark brick red compound eyes but the mutation of this trait such as a white mutation located on the X chromosome results in a lack of pigment, poor eyesight, and lower fitness.

According to this, the statement Red-eyed flies came from mutated white-eyed flies is false since the correct statement would be: white-eyed flies came from mutated red-eyed flies.

Now, white-eyed mutants of Drosophila fruit flies have a series of disadvantages compared to wild-type flies, including a poorer performance under bright light. This means that white-eyed mutants of Drosophila may have disadvantages when it comes to obtaining resources to live.

Thus, we can conclude that the correct answer is:

Answer:

C. Red-eyed flies outcompeted white-eyed flies for resources.