A population of dark-eyed junco birds became established near the California coastline, many miles from the junco's normal habitat in the mixed-coniferous temperate forests in the mountains. Juncos have white outer tail feathers that the males display during aggressive interactions and during courtship displays. Males with more white in their tail are more likely to win aggressive interactions, and females prefer to mate with males with more white in their tails.
Population sizes in the coastal areas have been reasonably large, and there are significant differences between the coastal and the mountain habitats. The coastal habitat is more open (making birds more visible) and has a lower junco density (decreasing intraspecific competition) than the mountain forests. Given this information, which of the following evolutionary mechanisms is the most likely cause of the difference between the coastal and mountain populations?
A) natural selection
B) genetic drift
C) gene flow
D) mutation
Correct Answer:
Verified
Q22: In a Hardy-Weinberg population with two alleles
Q23: A large population of laboratory animals has
Q24: A large population of laboratory animals has
Q25: A population of dark-eyed junco birds became
Q26: In peas, a gene controls flower color
Q28: The Dunkers are a religious group that
Q29: In which of the following situations would
Q30: Over time, humans have steadily increased their
Q31: A large population of laboratory animals has
Q32: Studies of Neanderthal DNA revealed that there
Unlock this Answer For Free Now!
View this answer and more for free by performing one of the following actions
Scan the QR code to install the App and get 2 free unlocks
Unlock quizzes for free by uploading documents