I’m Looking Over a White-Striped Clover by Evarts, Krufka, and Wilson

Part V—Checking Your Understanding

Exercise 9

Based on your understanding of the clover case and the definitions provided above, which of the following statements are true? Explain why each of the correct statements is true or correct each of the false statements to produce a true statement.

  1. Natural selection can fully be explained by the phrase “survival of the fittest.”
  2. Variation is necessary for natural selection to occur.
  3. Adaptation is defined with respect to local environmental conditions (e.g., heat, cold, rainfall, competitors, herbivores).
  4. Natural selection acts on populations, not individuals.

Exercise 10

  1. Predict which variant of white clover would be most frequent in each of the microhabitats on Long Island (refer to Part I).
  2. Write a paragraph that describes the distribution of clover in the microclimates of Long Island using the terms variation, adaptation, natural selection, and evolution. Be sure to fully describe each of these terms in your detailed paragraph.


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