A Population of Beetles Lives on a Forest Floor, Which

Multiple Choice

A population of beetles lives on a forest floor, which is covered in dark leaf litter. Dark beetles have the genotype A₂A₂, while lighter beetles have an A₁A₁ genotype; heterozygotes have a phenotype that is closer to that of the A₁A₁ homozygotes. The oppresso bird preys on these beetles. What outcome do you predict?

A) Behaviours learned from the beetles will be passed onto their offspring.
B) Beetles will have darker- shelled offspring to protect them from predation.
C) The proportions of beetles in the population with different traits change over time.
D) The colour of each beetle within the population will gradually change over time.
E) A mutation will arise that will result in a darker shell colour and protect the beetles from predation.