Question

This question has two parts

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Text:
In animal populations, genes help determine when organism will breed during the year. Scientists have observe that the distribution of the time of year breeding genes in animal populations has been changing as average global temperatures increase. Red squirrels in Canada are one example of a population that has shown a shift in the frequency of certain genes. Scientists have observed the genes related to breeding earlier in the spring increasing in red squirrel populations. The chart shown below provide some information about red squirrels.

The data about red squirrels:
- Red squirrels frequently produce once a year
- Mating season is spring
- Red squirrels don't hibernate, but they store food for winter because food is less available
- Their diet is mostly herbivorus; sometimes eat insects, eggs, small birds/mammals


Part A: Describe ONE survival advantage for red squirrels to breed earlier in the spring.
Part B: Identify and explain the mechanism by which the gene for breeding earlier in the spring can increase in the red squirrel population over time.

Answer 1

Part A: One survival advantage for red squirrels to breed earlier in the spring is that they may be able to take advantage of an earlier availability of food resources. As the climate warms and average temperatures increase, plants may begin to grow and produce food earlier in the year. By breeding earlier in the spring, red squirrels may be able to access these food resources before they become scarce, which could improve the survival and reproductive success of their offspring.

Part B: The mechanism by which the gene for breeding earlier in the spring can increase in the red squirrel population over time is natural selection. Natural selection is the process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population based on their impact on an individual's ability to survive and reproduce. If red squirrels that breed earlier in the spring are more successful at surviving and reproducing than those that breed later, then the genes for early breeding will become more common in the population over time. This process can occur over many generations, leading to a shift in the distribution of the time of year breeding genes in the population.