The Following Question Refers to This Hypothetical Situation

question 23

Multiple Choice

The following question refers to this hypothetical situation.
A female fly, full of fertilized eggs, is swept by high winds to an island far out to sea. She is the first fly to arrive on this island and the only fly to arrive in this way. Thousands of years later, her numerous offspring occupy the island, but none of them resembles her. There are, instead, several species, each of which eats only a certain type of food. None of the species can fly, and their balancing organs (halteres) are now used in courtship displays. The male members of each species bear modified halteres that are unique in appearance to their species. Females bear vestigial halteres. The ranges of all of the daughter species overlap.
In each fly species, the entire body segment that gave rise to the original flight wings is missing. The mutation(s) that led to the flightless condition could have ________.

• A) duplicated all of the Hox genes in these flies' genomes
• B) resulted in paedomorphosis
• C) altered the expression of a Hox gene
• D) originated in another species

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Definitions:

Unpredictability

The quality of being unable to be foreseen or declared in advance.

Stressful

Characterized by or causing mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension.

Uplifts

Positive experiences or small victories that improve one’s mood or emotional state, often countering the impact of stress.

Emotional Expressions

Manifestations of feelings that may involve gestures, facial expressions, and vocal tone, serving communicative functions in social interactions.