Question

Please explain the follwing question as if it were written in an essay format. Provide as much info as possible to support your claims.

Natural selection occurs when the genetics of a population intersects with the ecology of their environment. This in turn can lead to larger evolutionary changes such as speciation. Using a specific example, explain how novel genetic traits, natural selection and adaptations have led to adaptive radiation and the origin of higher level taxa such as phyla or clades. Which taxa would be a good example? (subtext: evolution, adaptation- adaptive radiation and speciation) 


Answer 1

Theory of Natural selection given by Charles Darwin has begin with organism present in the finches in Galapagos island. In that person, different finches beak size is adjusted according to different ecological environments. This phenomenon is also known as adaptive radiation.  

One such example is a "aquilegia"  plant that explain the genetic basis of coloring of flower. This plant is used as model organism for studying the evolution of flower color. This plant phylogenetic study reveal that colouring of flower depends on the anthocyanin pigments presence or absence. The flower color depends on the four assorting factors: (Y, C, R, F). Loss of anthocyanin fragments in some plants is due to change in the expression of the genes. The presence of different color of a flower depends on the pollinators visiting patterns. This show that, plants express different genes, according to attract the pollinators. Hence, the evolution of flower color is dependent on the pollinators variation. This example suggest that flower has changed their color, according to the environmental conditions, that means according to the pollinators. To study this behavior, Aquilegia plant is choosen and flavinoid synthetic pathway different genes were studied and researchesres have find the gene expression under various pollinating agents.