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some plants in an area produce a toxin that protects them from being eaten by various insect species. The toxin decreases reproductive rates in insects. because of a genetic mutation some fruits flies can detect the plant toxin and therefore avoid eating the plant
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Over the next 25 years, the frequency of fruit flies that can detect the toxin produced by the plants is likely to increase in the population. Here’s how that process might unfold:
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Natural Selection: The toxin decreases the reproductive rates of the fruit flies that consume the plant. Consequently, fruit flies that possess the genetic mutation allowing them to detect and avoid the toxin will have a survival advantage. These flies will be less likely to engage with the toxic plants and thus will have a higher probability of surviving to reproduce.
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Increased Reproductive Success: The fruit flies that can detect the toxin will likely reproduce more successfully than those that cannot detect it, leading to more offspring in the next generations that also carry this advantageous mutation.
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Population Change Over Time: As more generations pass, the proportion of fruit flies in the population that possess the mutation for toxin detection will increase, while the proportion that does not will decline. Over 25 years, this could lead to a significant increase in the number of toxin-detecting fruit flies.
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Evolutionary Pressure: Given that the toxin provides ongoing selective pressure, the adaptation to avoid it will likely become more pronounced over time, potentially resulting in a population predominantly made up of individuals capable of detecting the toxin.
In summary, the population of fruit flies capable of detecting the toxin is expected to increase over time due to natural selection favoring those individuals who can avoid the harmful effects of the toxin.
Over the next 25 years, the number of fruit flies that can detect the toxin will likely increase due to natural selection favoring those that avoid the toxic plants. As a result, these flies will have higher survival and reproductive rates compared to those that cannot detect the toxin.
The change will occur through natural selection, where fruit flies capable of detecting the plant toxin survive longer and reproduce more than those that cannot. Over time, this advantage allows the genetic trait for toxin detection to become more common in the population, leading to an increased frequency of these individuals.
As the fruit fly population increasingly consists of individuals that can detect the toxin, the selective pressure on the plants may change. Plants may invest more energy in producing the toxin if other herbivores or competitors still consume them, or they might adapt to produce a different form of toxin that is undetectable by the flies. Ultimately, this could lead to an evolutionary arms race between the plants and the fruit flies, promoting ongoing adaptations in both populations.