Question
The Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Famine, occurred in Ireland between 1845 and 1852. It was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration, leading to the deaths of approximately one million people and the emigration of another million. The cause of the famine was potato blight, which is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. The potato blight affects the leaves, stems, and tubers of potato plants, leading to rot and crop failure.
The potato had become a staple food in Ireland, particularly among the rural poor. Potatoes were easy to grow, provided a high yield, and were nutritious, supplying a significant portion of the population’s caloric intake. Farmers often selected potato varieties that produced high yields and were easy to cultivate. This practice led to the widespread planting of a limited number of potato varieties, most notably the “Lumper.”
Why did the artificial selection of the potato crops contribute to the severity of the Irish Potato Famine?
It made all the potatoes equally vulnerable to the blight, leading to widespread crop failure.
It caused the potatoes to grow more slowly, which led to fewer people having available food.
It increased the nutritional value of the potatoes but made the people who ate them very sick.
It allowed the potatoes to resist other types of plant diseases but did not prevent them from being immune to the blight.
The potato had become a staple food in Ireland, particularly among the rural poor. Potatoes were easy to grow, provided a high yield, and were nutritious, supplying a significant portion of the population’s caloric intake. Farmers often selected potato varieties that produced high yields and were easy to cultivate. This practice led to the widespread planting of a limited number of potato varieties, most notably the “Lumper.”
Why did the artificial selection of the potato crops contribute to the severity of the Irish Potato Famine?
It made all the potatoes equally vulnerable to the blight, leading to widespread crop failure.
It caused the potatoes to grow more slowly, which led to fewer people having available food.
It increased the nutritional value of the potatoes but made the people who ate them very sick.
It allowed the potatoes to resist other types of plant diseases but did not prevent them from being immune to the blight.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is:
**It made all the potatoes equally vulnerable to the blight, leading to widespread crop failure.**
The artificial selection for a limited number of high-yield potato varieties, such as the "Lumper," resulted in a lack of genetic diversity among the potato crops. When the potato blight (caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans) struck, it affected all of these susceptible varieties equally, leading to catastrophic crop failures across Ireland. This lack of genetic diversity made the entire potato crop more susceptible to disease, exacerbating the effects of the famine.
**It made all the potatoes equally vulnerable to the blight, leading to widespread crop failure.**
The artificial selection for a limited number of high-yield potato varieties, such as the "Lumper," resulted in a lack of genetic diversity among the potato crops. When the potato blight (caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans) struck, it affected all of these susceptible varieties equally, leading to catastrophic crop failures across Ireland. This lack of genetic diversity made the entire potato crop more susceptible to disease, exacerbating the effects of the famine.