Question

A group of red beetles lives on the green leaves of a tree. Beetles multiply through sexual reproduction. One day, some green beetles are seen among the red beetles. Green beetles breed to produce green progeny. Crows on the tree eat beetles. The color composition of the beetle population is likely to change in the following manner
(a) Both red and green beetle survive equally.
(b) Only the red beetles survive.
(c) More red beetles survive than the green.
(d) More green beetles survive than red.

Answer 1

The color composition of the beetle population is likely to change according to Darwin's theory of natural selection. This theory explains that an organism adapts its environment through reproducing changes in its genotype.

Complete step by step answer:
The composition of the body color of the beetle population is likely to change in such a manner that more green beetles survive than red. In the above- mentioned situation, there are red beetles that live on the leaves of a tree and are consumed by the crows.
- For their survival, the red beetles evolve and change their color from red to green.
- These green-colored beetles are not identified by the crows because of the presence of green color leaves in beetles surrounding and thus they are protected from the crows.
- So, we can conclude from the above explanation that the number of green beetles will survive more than the red beetles. This happens because of natural selection.
- The process of natural selection helps in bringing significant changes in the appearance, behavior, or physiology of individuals in a population, by bringing changes in the genotype of the organism in just a few generations.
- In this way, once new alleles arise, the different alleles are combined through meiosis and sexual reproduction in new ways to increase genetic variation.

So, the correct answer is, ’More green beetles survive than red’.

Note:
- In the process of natural selection those variations in the genotypes have preserved that increase the chances of survival for the organism.
- The variation once brought in an individual is fixed by repeated meiosis and sexual reproduction.
- Camouflaging of green beetles with their surroundings helps them to survive.