Mosquitoes may have developed resistance to DDT through the process of natural selection, which is the mechanism by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. When DDT was widely used, mosquitoes that had genetic mutations allowing them to survive the insecticide were more likely to survive and reproduce. Over time, these resistant mosquitoes became more prevalent in the population, leading to a significant decline in the effectiveness of DDT. This illustrates how environmental pressures, like the application of an insecticide, can drive the evolution of resistance in pest populations.
Mosquitoes can carry and transmit many diseases to humans. The insecticide DDT was heavily used to reduce mosquito populations. However, mosquito populations developed a resistance to DDT. This made DDT less effective.
In 3–5 sentences, describe how mosquitoes may have develop this resistance to DDT. Make sure to define natural selection in your answer and how it relates to this situation.
(4 points)
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