Question

A scientist used radiation to change the mutation rates of a population of bugs. He then measured how many generations it took for bugs with different mutation rates to adapt to a new background by natural selection. On the graph below, the x-axis represents the mutation rate, and the y-axis represents the number of generations it took for the bugs to reach an average fitness of 90%.

Using evidence from the graph explain how adaptation occurred more quickly as the mutation rate increased.

Answer 1

B. Adaptation occurred more quickly as the mutation rate increased. However, this effect was relatively small for mutation rates above 1%.

Step-by-step explanation:

Explanation: Quicker adaptation is indicated by fewer generations needed to reach a certain average fitness. The bugs with a 0.1% mutation rate took over 500 generations to adapt, while the bugs with a 10% mutation rate only took about 50 generations to adapt. In general, greater mutation rates correspond to quicker adaptation. However, there is a relatively small difference between a 1% mutation rate and a 10% mutation rate, and no measurable difference at all between 6% and 10%.

Answer 2

For this experiment, artificial selection is made by the scientists where traits of benefit are made to be present in the gene by high mutation rate so that the adaptability increases.

Step-by-step explanation:

Natural selection is a process by which a organism with beneficial traits survive and reproduce in large numbers. They adapt to the environment very quickly and pass on these traits to its progeny which are at the better survival zone.

The mutations for the beneficial traits in certain genes caused the bugs to adapt to their environment well. When mated, they pass on the traits in every generation. It is also said that those organisms who did not get mutated eventually died.

The faster the mutation rate, the faster the mutated bugs with beneficial traits will appear in each generation.

From the graph it can be said that those bugs who could not bear the mutation they died and hence did not appear in the next generation only those bugs who could cope up the environment survived.