Practice: Frog Evolution Scenario
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Consider the following scenario. Answer all questions using key terminologies and justifications.
A tropical rainforest supports a species of poison dart frog which feeds primarily on a local tree beetle. Providing the weather is constant, and food is plentiful, this species continues to breed and populate the ecosystem. Further, the ratio of males and females is equal so no competitive mating is occurring and the entire species is phenotypically identical.
a) Providing the above situation is maintained, will these species evolve in the next 1000 years? Justify your answer.
b) Suppose that the poison harbouring capabilities (phenotypically let’s say this is represented by their colourfulness) of these frogs falls along with a normal distribution, i.e. some frogs are almost completely non-poisonous/dull, most are poisonous and bright and some are very poisonous/very bright. Providing the above situation with regards to the environment, food and reproduction is maintained, will these species evolve in the next 1000 years? Justify your answer.
c) In b, what would be necessary requirements to initiate evolution?
d) Assume the phenotypic variation in the frog colours is due to what they eat (no molecular basis) and a predator arrives that wipes out all the non-poisonous frogs. Will the next generation have more poisonous frogs? Explain.