Genetic Evidence suggests that feathers evolved . . .

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The prompt presents the question: 'Genetic Evidence suggests that feathers evolved . . .' and provides an answer field with one claimed correct option: 'via few mutations of large effect.' However, there are no answer options provided to analyze in turn.

First, with no listed options to compare, we cannot systematically evaluate each potential choice for accuracy or plausibility. In a typical multiple-choice item, we would examine each alternative, noting why some are viable and others are not, before identifying the correct one.

Regarding the given claimed answer, 'via few mutations of large effect' implies that feather evolution occurred through a small number of genetic changes each causing substantial phenotypic shifts. In evolutionary genetics, there is debate about the relative sizes and numbers of effect mutations for complex traits like feathers. Some models and evidence suggest that major morphological innovations can arise from key co-option or regulatory changes that have large effects, while many well-supported narratives for complex structures (feathers involved multiple structural components, insulation properties, and aerodynamic features) often emphasize multiple mutations of smaller or moderate effect, accumulating over time.

Therefore, from a genetic-evidence perspective, asserting evolution via a few large-effect mutations is a strong claim that would require robust, convergent data showing that a small set of changes suffice to produce the suite of feather traits observed in fossils and living birds. Absent the listed options, we can nonetheless critique this stance by noting:
- If feathers required integration of multiple features (e.g., keratin structural proteins, feather coloration, growth patterns, and keratinization timing), it seems plausible that several regulatory changes could coordinate these traits, not just a handful of large-effect mutations.
- Large-effect mutations can have pleiotropic consequences; natural selection would need to favor such changes without detrimental side effects, which may be challenging for a complex trait.
- The fossil and comparative-genomics literature often emphasizes mosaic and stepwise assembly of features, with evidence for regulatory changes at various genetic loci contributing incrementally.

Given these considerations, one would typically scrutinize the claim of 'few mutations of large effect' by looking for evidence such as: a few genetic changes that map cleanly to major feather features, functional experiments demonstrating large phenotypic jumps from single mutations, and fossil-genomic correlations showing a rapid, concerted appearance of feather traits. In contrast, alternative explanations would point to multiple mutations of smaller effects across different genes and regulatory networks accumulating over time to produce the observed feather complexity.

In sum, without the actual list of answer options to compare, we cannot definitively judge which choice is best. The lone provided option—that feathers evolved via few mutations of large effect—requires strong, convergent genetic-evolutionary evidence to be favored; without such evidence, many educators and researchers would treat it with caution or favor explanations invoking multiple smaller-effect mutations accumulating across lineages.

If additional options were provided, we would evaluate each in turn, assessing whether the proposed mechanism for feather evolution aligns with current understanding of evolutionary genetics, regulatory evolution, and fossil data, and we would explain why alternatives might be more consistent with what is known about the genetics of complex trait evolution.

BIOL 1001 (090-095) Unit 2.2 Learning Quiz

Genetic Evidence suggests that feathers evolved . . .

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BIOL 1001 (090-095) Unit 2.2 Learning Quiz

Genetic Evidence suggests that feathers evolved . . .

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

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Todd Preuss states that genes __ related to , and the gene related to _, are examples of genes positively selected in human evolution.