Why was it informative for researchers studying evolution of oldfield mouse coat color to find the genes responsible for the light coat color of many beach populations?
A) Natural selection can only result in evolutionary change if variation in the trait of interest has a heritable, genetic component.
B) The only way to understand trait evolution is to determine the molecular mechanism of change.
C) If light coat color is caused by the same gene in all of the beach populations, this would mean that it did not evolve from dark-colored coats.
D) Knowing the genetic basis of coat color in the different populations allowed the researchers to determine the norm of reaction for this trait.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Finding the genes responsible for coat color in oldfield mice is informative for studying the evolution of the trait because it allows researchers to determine if the variation in coat color has a heritable, genetic component. Without a genetic basis for the variation, natural selection cannot act on the trait and drive its evolution.

Answer: C 
 If the same gene is responsible for light coat color in all beach populations of oldfield mice, it would suggest that the light coat color did not evolve independently in each population but rather was present in a common ancestor. This would inform our understanding of the evolutionary history of the trait.

Therefore, the best answer is A and C.

Why Was It Informative for Researchers Studying Evolution of Oldfield