Natural selection favors red-eyed tree frog embryos that hatch within the optimal timeframe, as those hatching earlier than two days risk being underdeveloped and unable to survive outside the egg. Consequently, genetic traits that promote early hatching beyond this threshold are likely to be selected against, leading to a population that reliably hatches at the appropriate time for survival.
Red-eyed tree frog eggs can hatch up to two days earlier than average if they experience vibrations in their environment. If they hatch more than two days earlier, the embryos are not developed enough to survive outside of the egg. In 1–2 sentences, explain how natural selection keeps frog eggs from hatching earlier than two days before expected hatching.
1 answer