A population of snails is living in Byron’s Bay. The snails are protected from most predators by their thick shells. Shell thickness is determined by the snails’ genes. The population of snails in Byron’s Bay consists of an even mixture of individuals with thin shells, medium shells, and thick shells. As a result of climate change, red crabs, which used to be confined to the warmer waters of the south, extend their range northward into Byron’s Bay. Red crabs feed on snails and other mollusks. To eat a snail, a crab must be able to crack open the snail’s shell with its claw. The thicker a snail’s shell, the more difficult it is for a crab to crack open.
The crabs arrive in Byron’s Bay after the snails have mated and laid their eggs. If the babies that hatch from these eggs all manage to grow up, which are we most likely to find among them?
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Snails with very thin shells. |
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2. Snails with very thick shells. |
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3. Snails with thin shells and snails with thick shells are equally likely. |
Answer: 3. Snails with thin shells and snails with thick shells are equally likely. (as explaine below)
The population of snails in Byron’s Bay consists of an even mixture of individuals with thin shells, medium shells, and thick shells. Nothing drastic has happened that would cause a change in the thickness of the shells. Also, even if the crabs were to come and feed themselves on the population, it is quite unlikely that the very next generation of snails will have incorporated the adaptation.
A population of snails is living in Byron’s Bay. The snails are protected from most predators...
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