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A) If natural selection has no foresight, how can it explain features that seem

ID: 42103 • Letter: A

Question

A) If natural selection has no foresight, how can it explain features that seem to prepare organisms for future events? For example, deciduous trees at high latitudes drop their leaves before winter arrives, male birds establish territories before females arrive in the spring, and animals such as squirrels and jays store food as winter approaches. B) Considering the principles of mutation, genetic drift, and natural selection, do you expect adaptive evolution to occur more rapidly in small or in large populations? Why?

Explanation / Answer

A feature is an adaptation for a particular function if it has evolved by natural selection for that function by enhancing the relative rate of increase