Question
Four different populations of sea stars develop various mutations from their environment. The mutations affect all of the members in each population. The graph shows the different populations of sea stars before and after the mutations.
Population size in hundreds is on the vertical axis of the graph and population one, population two, population three, and population four are represented on the horizontal axis. Population one had 300 organisms before the mutation and 200 organisms after the mutation. Population two had 150 organisms before the mutation and 500 organisms after the mutation. Population three had 750 organisms before the mutation and 450 organisms after the mutation. Population four had 400 organisms before the mutation and 400 members after the mutation.
Which population MOST LIKELY developed a neutral mutation?
A.
Population One
B.
Population Two
C.
Population Three
D.
Population Four
Multiple Choice Question
Part B:
Which statement best supports your choice in Part A?
A.
The mutation genetically changes the sea stars, allowing them to better survive their environment.
B.
The mutation genetically changes the sea stars but does not change how they survive their environment.
C.
The mutation does not genetically change the sea stars, hindering their ability to survive in their environment.
D.
The mutation does not genetically change the sea stars and does not change how they survive their environment.
Population size in hundreds is on the vertical axis of the graph and population one, population two, population three, and population four are represented on the horizontal axis. Population one had 300 organisms before the mutation and 200 organisms after the mutation. Population two had 150 organisms before the mutation and 500 organisms after the mutation. Population three had 750 organisms before the mutation and 450 organisms after the mutation. Population four had 400 organisms before the mutation and 400 members after the mutation.
Which population MOST LIKELY developed a neutral mutation?
A.
Population One
B.
Population Two
C.
Population Three
D.
Population Four
Multiple Choice Question
Part B:
Which statement best supports your choice in Part A?
A.
The mutation genetically changes the sea stars, allowing them to better survive their environment.
B.
The mutation genetically changes the sea stars but does not change how they survive their environment.
C.
The mutation does not genetically change the sea stars, hindering their ability to survive in their environment.
D.
The mutation does not genetically change the sea stars and does not change how they survive their environment.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
For Part A, the population most likely to have developed a neutral mutation is:
**D. Population Four**
For Part B, the statement that best supports this choice is:
**D. The mutation does not genetically change the sea stars and does not change how they survive their environment.**
### Explanation:
Population Four had 400 organisms before and after the mutation, showing no change in population size. This suggests that the mutation did not have a significant impact on the sea stars' ability to survive or reproduce in their environment, which is characteristic of a neutral mutation. In contrast, the other populations experienced notable changes in population size after the mutation, indicating that those mutations likely had effects on survival or fitness.
**D. Population Four**
For Part B, the statement that best supports this choice is:
**D. The mutation does not genetically change the sea stars and does not change how they survive their environment.**
### Explanation:
Population Four had 400 organisms before and after the mutation, showing no change in population size. This suggests that the mutation did not have a significant impact on the sea stars' ability to survive or reproduce in their environment, which is characteristic of a neutral mutation. In contrast, the other populations experienced notable changes in population size after the mutation, indicating that those mutations likely had effects on survival or fitness.