Question
16. The population of ducks shown above lives in an environment that has always had very cold water. Could there ever have been ducks with thin feathers in this population?
Responses
a
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait because none of the adult ducks had that trait to pass down.
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait because none of the adult ducks had that trait to pass down.
b
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait in the past, but some with that trait could be born in the future if the environment changes to be warmer.
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait in the past, but some with that trait could be born in the future if the environment changes to be warmer.
c
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.
d
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait, but having a mutation in its genes would have caused it to die when it was born.
Responses
a
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait because none of the adult ducks had that trait to pass down.
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait because none of the adult ducks had that trait to pass down.
b
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait in the past, but some with that trait could be born in the future if the environment changes to be warmer.
No ducks could have been born with the thin-feather trait in the past, but some with that trait could be born in the future if the environment changes to be warmer.
c
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.
d
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait, but having a mutation in its genes would have caused it to die when it was born.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct response to the question is:
**c**
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.
This response acknowledges that genetic mutations can occur randomly, leading to the existence of ducks with thin feathers. However, in an environment with very cold water, such a trait would likely be disadvantageous, reducing the likelihood of those ducks surviving long enough to reproduce.
**c**
A duck could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-feather trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.
This response acknowledges that genetic mutations can occur randomly, leading to the existence of ducks with thin feathers. However, in an environment with very cold water, such a trait would likely be disadvantageous, reducing the likelihood of those ducks surviving long enough to reproduce.