The Same Gene That Causes Various Coat Patterns in Wild

question 47

Multiple Choice

The same gene that causes various coat patterns in wild and domesticated cats also causes a cross-eyed condition in these cats, the cross-eyed condition being slightly maladaptive. In a hypothetical environment, the coat pattern that is associated with crossed eyes is highly adaptive, with the result that both the coat pattern and the cross-eyed condition increase in a feline population over time. Which statement is supported by these observations?

• A) Evolution is progressive and tends toward a more perfect population.
• B) Phenotype is often the result of compromise.
• C) Natural selection reduces the frequency of maladaptive genes in populations over the course of time.
• D) Polygenic inheritance is generally maladaptive, and should become less common in future generations.
• E) In all environments, coat pattern is a more important survival factor than is eye-muscle tone.

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Definitions:

Breathing Patterns

The rhythmic sequence of breaths, including rate and depth, which reflects the respiratory effort under different physiological and pathological conditions.

Carbon Dioxide

A gas with no color or smell, generated from the combustion of organic materials and the respiration process, taken in by plants for photosynthesis.

Alveolar Epithelium

A thin layer of cells that lines the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs, allowing for gas exchange.

Respiratory Membrane

Membrane consisting of alveolar epithelium, capillary endothelium, and their fused basement membranes.