Question

6. When the field biologists arrived on the two islands (Pine Cay and Water Cay), they may have depended on morphological characteristics to decide whether the species on Pine Cay was the same as the species on Water Cay. a. Describe one way that the biologists could determine whether two different sets of lizards were a singular species. (1pt) b. Imagine that the lizards were unable to swim from island to island so that each island was isolated. Name and describe what you would expect to happen to the two populations over time. (1pt) 7. In the deserts of New Mexico, three different, unrelated species of lizards have developed mutations in the MCIR gene that cause the lizards to be pale in pigment. a. What term could be used to describe this process? (1 pt) b. Based on this information, would you expect the lizards to have mutations in the same place (same nucleotide position) in the gene or different place (different nucleotide positions) in the gene? (1 pt) c. This trait confers a selective advantage to the lizards that display it. In a singular species, what caused the change in phenotype? (1 pt) d. In this environment, why did a greater number of lizards become pale in color over time? (1 pt) e. In contrast to a gene that merely changed color of lizards, what would happen to the frequency of pale lizards over time if the gene that made lizards pale also made them produce fewer eggs? (1 pt)

help with 6 & 7

Answer 1

Solution:

Answer- 6 (a):

For the assessment of diversity in any single species localized on different eco-edaphic enviroment, we can measaure some phenotypic responses may be related to body size at sexual maturity, and this in turn with other life history characteristics, such as size at sexual maturity, clutch size or brood size, size at hatching, and other features

If, biologist found similarity in pattern of changes in above parameter during course of time then would be cosider as similar species, otherwise could be see as different.

Answer- 6 (b):

Over the time with no movement from one island to others, there would be a pressure on every species lived on different islands through changing environment and ecosystem; which infact changes in the organisms behaviors. Such behavioral modifications can potentially improve an organism’s prospects of surviving and reproducing in a changing world.

Ecosystem causes change in three terms: disperse, adjust through phenotypic plasticity, or adapt through genetic changes which could generate a new sepecies over the time.

Conclusion:

Over the time, same lizards habitated on two different island, would evovled as two different new species.

Answer- 7 (a):

When any mutation changes the product of that particular genes, then it is called as misssense or frameshift mutation. In which an amino acids of a particular protein or complete reading frame change due to changes in nucleotide, respectively.

The gene MC1R (melanocortin-1-receptor) responsible for color of hair in human while skin pigment color in lizards. Mutation in this gene changes the receptor signaling and in the other, the ability of the receptor to integrate into the melanocyte membrane.

Conclusion:

This type of evolution could called as conversant evolution.

Answer- 7(b):

From the observation and other explanation, it would be inferred that this kind of mutation in MC1R gene occurs at different nucleotide position at the gene in different lizards which change the receptor three dimensional structure and affects the pigment formation.

Answer- 7(c):

The changes in pigment colour in variable environment would help to lizards from their predators, so help in their survivality.

Answer- 7(d):

One of the most important factors responsible for becoming pale in color over time is increasing temperature due to green house effect. The light color less effect the skin burning while protecting from sun burnings.

Answer- 7(e):

The gene responsible for pigment changes, i.e. MC1R (melanocortin-1-receptor) also affecta many other body functions, including gee development and cell cycle. when it become dominant, the egg laying capacity of lizards decrease which may cause a factor of their extinction, hence with the time, this gene mutation must be cgange with some other which help in maintaining their normal population.