A classic example of natural selection is the population‑level change in the color of peppered moths during the industrial revolution. Color in the peppered moth is autosomal recessive. The dark coloration is dominant, D, and the light coloration is recessive, d. Suppose a population of peppered moths produces on average 23 offspring from light‑colored moths, 75 offspring from heterozygous, dark‑colored moths, and 121 offspring from homozygous, dark‑colored moths. Calculate the fitness of the light‑colored moths, w d d. Express w to the nearest thousandth.

Question

Biology

Nick Hawkins

17 January, 20:47

A classic example of natural selection is the population‑level change in the color of peppered moths during the industrial revolution. Color in the peppered moth is autosomal recessive. The dark coloration is dominant, D, and the light coloration is recessive, d. Suppose a population of peppered moths produces on average 23 offspring from light‑colored moths, 75 offspring from heterozygous, dark‑colored moths, and 121 offspring from homozygous, dark‑colored moths. Calculate the fitness of the light‑colored moths, w d d. Express w to the nearest thousandth.

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Answers (1)

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Abigail Wilcox · Answer 1

Answer: 0.190

Explanation:

Relative Fitness (w) is the survival and/or reproductive rate of a genotype (or phenotype) relative to the maximum survival and/or reproductive rate of other genotypes in the population.

Thus fitness for the light coloured moth = 23/121

= 0.190