A. Lamarckian inheritance posited that offspring
a. would inherit characteristics that were acquired during their parents’ lifetimes.
b. would be composed of an even blend of their parents’ characteristics.
c. did not inherit characteristics from their parents but acquired them through interaction with their environment
d. changed genetically from their parents through the accumulation of random genetic mutations.
B. Microevolution refers to changes in allele frequencies within breeding populations (that is, within a single species).
True
False
C. Offspring who are healthy enough to survive to adulthood are called offspring fertile viable reproductive living
a. True
b. False
The correct answer and explanation is:
A. Lamarckian inheritance posited that offspring
Answer: a. would inherit characteristics that were acquired during their parents’ lifetimes.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory of inheritance, often called Lamarckian inheritance, suggested that organisms could pass on traits they acquired during their lifetimes to their offspring. For example, he proposed that giraffes developed long necks because their ancestors stretched their necks to reach higher leaves, and this acquired trait was then inherited by the next generation. However, this idea was later disproven by modern genetics, which demonstrated that acquired traits (such as muscle growth from exercise) do not alter an organism’s DNA in a way that is heritable.
B. Microevolution refers to changes in allele frequencies within breeding populations (that is, within a single species).
Answer: True
Microevolution involves small-scale changes within a population, such as shifts in gene frequency due to mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow. This process occurs over short evolutionary timescales and is observable within species, leading to variations such as antibiotic resistance in bacteria or color changes in peppered moths.
C. Offspring who are healthy enough to survive to adulthood are called viable offspring.
Answer: False. The correct answer is “viable offspring.”
Explanation:
In evolutionary biology, viable offspring refers to individuals who are capable of surviving to adulthood and contributing to the gene pool by reproducing. Viability is essential for natural selection, as only those who survive and reproduce can pass their genes to the next generation. The concept of viability contrasts with non-viable offspring, which are unable to survive due to genetic defects, environmental factors, or developmental issues.
Viable offspring are crucial for the continuation of a species, and their survival depends on genetic health, environmental adaptability, and availability of resources. For example, in nature, some species produce many offspring, but only a fraction survive due to predation or competition. Evolution favors traits that enhance survival, ensuring that viable individuals pass on their genes.
This principle helps explain why species evolve over time—those with advantageous traits become more common, leading to gradual adaptations that improve fitness. Understanding viability also has implications in conservation biology, genetics, and medicine, where researchers study factors affecting survival and reproductive success.
Image Generation
I’ll generate an image illustrating the concept of microevolution, showing changes in a species over time, such as variations in a population of organisms. Stay tuned.
Here is an illustration of microevolution, depicting how a population of birds adapts over time due to natural selection. It visually represents changes in allele frequencies within a species. Let me know if you need any modifications!
