Mosquitoes can carry and transmit many diseases to humans. In the past, the insecticide DDT was heavily used to reduce mosquito populations in order to reduce instances of disease transmission. However, after some time, mosquito populations developed a resistance to DDT, which made the DDT less effective in reducing mosquito populations.
Based on what you’ve learned about natural selection, in 3–5 sentences, describe how mosquitoes may have come to develop this resistance.
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Mosquitoes may have developed resistance to DDT through natural selection. Initially, some mosquitoes may have had genetic variations that made them less susceptible to the effects of DDT. When spraying DDT, these resistant mosquitoes were able to survive and pass on their genetic traits to their offspring. Over time, the population of mosquitoes became increasingly dominated by individuals with this genetic resistance. This process of natural selection allowed the mosquitoes to adapt to their environment and develop a resistance to the insecticide.
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