Evolution
4th Edition
ISBN: 9781605356051
Author: Douglas Futuyma, Mark Kirkpatrick
Publisher: SINAUER
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Chapter 3, Problem 4PDT
Summary Introduction
To describe: Adaptive and non-adaptive hypotheses for the evolutionary loss of useless organs.
Introduction: Lamarck proposed the hypothesis of use and disuse of organs. This explains that the organism acquires the characters through use and disuse of organs and passes these characters to the next generation.
Summary Introduction
To explain: The way in which adaptive and non-adaptive hypotheses can be tested.
Introduction: Adaptive and non-adaptive hypotheses explain the use and disuse of certain characters that may or may not be beneficial for the survival of the organism. If adapted, these characters pass them to the next generation as mutations.
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You want to distinguish between two hypotheses to explain the patterns you see:
1) Males not feeding the young is an adaptation to dimorphism
2) If males don't feed the young in a species, it will allow them to become brightly colored
To begin to address this question, map the characters changes in dimorphism and males feeding
the young onto each of the trees on the previous page.
CHARACTER
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM
MALES FEED YOUNG
Cassin's Vireo
No
No
Red Fox Sparrow
Cape May Warbler
Cedar Waxwing
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Pyrrhuloxia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
California Gull
No
Yes
Note: This data is fictional
5) Which of the hypotheses in part 4 is consistent with your analysis? Explain why in a brief paragraph.
Eyes are often used in arguments for intelligent design because many consider this organ to be too complex to have evolved by chance alone. However, complex lensed eyes evolved independently both within cephalod mollusks and vertebrates including our own ancestor. In the evolution of these structures the corresponding phylogenies revealed that both:
A) were preceded by the evolution of 'simple' light sensing eyes, thus having adaptive intermediate evolutionary steps.
B) lacked intermediate evolutionary steps involving the evolution of 'simple' eyes.
C) had intermediate evolutionary steps, but ultimately the vertebrate eye had a superior 'design' without any kind of blind spot, relative to the simple invertebrate cephalopod eye.
D) were preceded by vestigial non-functional optic structures.
Is this evolutionary conservation of the pecten structure evidence that natural selection might be maintaining the pecten in its present form in many bird species? Is this theory one that suggests the pecten has a significant adaptive function in birds?
Do you believe that experiments might be useful in determining the adaptive function of the pecten if it indeed serves an adaptive function? Outline a simple experiment to see whether the presence of a pecten in the bird's eye is an adaptation.
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