Iconic Maine species such as moose, Canada lynx, loons, boreal chickadees, eastern brook trout, saltmarsh sparrows and Atlantic puffins are under stress from climate change. A mutation in the boreal chickadees increases the ability of the bird to catch and eat certain insects. Which factor might determine whether the frequency of the new allele will increase?

Question

Responses
A whether the mutation allows the chickadees better access to food sources than those without itwhether the mutation allows the chickadees better access to food sources than those without it
B whether those with the mutation make better mateswhether those with the mutation make better mates
C whether the mutation is dominant or recessivewhether the mutation is dominant or recessive
D whether the mutation is random

Answer 1

The factor that might determine whether the frequency of the new allele will increase is:

A: whether the mutation allows the chickadees better access to food sources than those without it.

This option emphasizes the adaptive advantage that the mutation provides, which would likely lead to increased survival and reproductive success for individuals with the mutation. If the mutation enables the chickadees to more effectively catch and eat certain insects, those birds are more likely to thrive and reproduce, thereby increasing the frequency of that allele in the population over time.