BIOL 1209 WA 1
BIOL 1209
Writing Assignment 1
Cover Sheet
I certify that the writing in this assignment is my individual work and is my sole intellectual property. It does not contain the ideas, or writing of other individuals/authors.
Author ___________________________ Date ___________________
Lab Instructor ____________________ Lab Section # ____________
General Research Question:
How does the change in the alleles affect the pigment in the alligators; which also affects the fitness of the animal?
Animals fight for survival daily, and sometimes their lives depend on their ability to adapt with their surrounding environments. Natural Selection is the process in which individuals have certain traits that allow them to survive and produce more efficiently (Reece et al.456). The animals that inherit these important traits have a higher fitness; therefore, those without the traits have a lower fitness (Reece et al.456). One example of natural selection is the differences between American Alligator and Albino alligator. The American Alligator acquired dark, thick skin due to the swampy, wet marshlands they live in ("American Alligator." Aquatic Community. AC Tropical Fish and Aquarium. Web. 21 Feb 2013.). It has a higher fitness than the Albino Alligator because their pigment not only hides them from predators, but also gives them an upper hand when sneaking up on prey while hunting ("American Alligator." Aquatic Community. AC Tropical Fish and Aquarium. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.). On the other hand, the Albino Alligator has a much lower fitness and is very rare because it does not have the allele that produces the pigment that has dark skin. The white color stands out like a sore thumb in its dark environment ("White alligator is one of the rarest in the world." Telegraph Media Group. 16 Feb 2009: n. page. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.).
The null hypothesis in this experiment declares that the change in the allele frequency of the alligator will have no
Writing Assignment 1
Cover Sheet
I certify that the writing in this assignment is my individual work and is my sole intellectual property. It does not contain the ideas, or writing of other individuals/authors.
Author ___________________________ Date ___________________
Lab Instructor ____________________ Lab Section # ____________
General Research Question:
How does the change in the alleles affect the pigment in the alligators; which also affects the fitness of the animal?
Animals fight for survival daily, and sometimes their lives depend on their ability to adapt with their surrounding environments. Natural Selection is the process in which individuals have certain traits that allow them to survive and produce more efficiently (Reece et al.456). The animals that inherit these important traits have a higher fitness; therefore, those without the traits have a lower fitness (Reece et al.456). One example of natural selection is the differences between American Alligator and Albino alligator. The American Alligator acquired dark, thick skin due to the swampy, wet marshlands they live in ("American Alligator." Aquatic Community. AC Tropical Fish and Aquarium. Web. 21 Feb 2013.). It has a higher fitness than the Albino Alligator because their pigment not only hides them from predators, but also gives them an upper hand when sneaking up on prey while hunting ("American Alligator." Aquatic Community. AC Tropical Fish and Aquarium. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.). On the other hand, the Albino Alligator has a much lower fitness and is very rare because it does not have the allele that produces the pigment that has dark skin. The white color stands out like a sore thumb in its dark environment ("White alligator is one of the rarest in the world." Telegraph Media Group. 16 Feb 2009: n. page. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.).
The null hypothesis in this experiment declares that the change in the allele frequency of the alligator will have no