Part III: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving [40 pts). For each of the follow
ID: 194768 • Letter: P
Question
Part III: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving [40 pts). For each of the following problems, be sure to correct response and indicate explicitly what your final answers are: 3-4 sentences should be enough for a 1. [8 pts] The graphs below mean phenotype of show the relationship between the mean phenotype of parental corn plants and the relationship their offspring for two quantitative traits of agricultural interest Trait # 1 Trait #2 R 0.0003 R 0.70182 6.0 2.0 o0 30 1 150 1 Mean Phenotype in Parents 00 10 0 0 120 150 Mean Phenotype in Parents [4 pts) For each of these two traits, state whether they are genetically determined. Briefly explain your answers. a. Trait # 1 Trait # 2 b. [4 pts) Which trait is expected to have greater potential for evolutionary change via natural selection? lustify your answer.Explanation / Answer
a. The graphs show the regression of the mean phenotype of offspring on the mean phenotype of the parents i.e. heritability. Hence, trait 1 has low heritability and trait 2 has high heritability. Thus, trait 2 has greater tendency to be determined genetically.
b. Trait 1 is likely to have greater potential for evolution by natural selection. High heritability of trait means that the offspring will be more like their parents. A low heritability trait means that the offspring will be different from their parents. Some of these dissimilar offspring are likely to have better fitness than any of their parents, and hence likely to be evolutionarily favored.