(Solved): LIZARD EVOLUTION VIRTUAL LAB Answer the following questions as you finish each module of the virtua ...

LIZARD EVOLUTION VIRTUAL LAB Answer the following questions as you finish each module of the virtual lab or as a final assessment after completing the entire virtual lab. Module 1: Ecomorphs 1. At the beginning of the virtual lab, you were asked to sort eight lizards into categories. What criteria did vou initiallv use to make vour erouns? Did vou reviso vour criteria later? Whv? 2. An adaptation is a structure or function that is common in a population because it enhances the ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment. Provide one example and an explanation of one adaptation in the Anolis lizards. 3. Provide one evolutionary explanation for why lizards living in the same part of the habitat (i.e., orascl whisla havo eimilar rharartarietion 4. What is an ecomornh? Provide one examnle from the virtual lah. 6. Explain how a particular body feature of one of the lizard ecomorphs from the virtual lab is an adaptation to their particular niche. Module 2: Phylogeny 1. In module 1, you identified which species of lizards were most similar to one another based on relative limb length and toe pad size. In this module, you determined which lizards are more: eimilar th nna annther based on what troe of information? 2. Are the species of lizard that are more similar to one another according to body type also more elncelu ralated haced on the results obtained in this module? Explain your answer. 3. The figures below show two phylogenetic trees similar co the one you constructed in the virtual lab but with more lizards. The trees below show the evolutionary relationships among species from four ecomorphs from the four largest Caribbean islands. Figure 1. Phylogeny of anole lixards on four of the major Carlbbean biands color-coded according to geographical distribution, Ught dotted line, Puerto Rico; small dashed line, Cuba; large dathed line, Hispaniola; and solid line, Jamalca. Figure 2. Phylogeny of anole lizards in the four major Caribbeas ialands colore in according to ecomorph. Light dotted line, twier imall dashed line, trunk-eround; large dashed Ene, trunk-crown, solid line, crass-bus. 4. What is convergent evolution? Use evidence from the trees to explain how the Anolis lizards are an example of this concept. Module 3: Experimental Data 1. In Dr. Losos's experiment, why was it important that the experimental islands lacked lizards? 2. Dr. Losos's data suggest that after only a few generations, the lizards on the experimental islands have shorter legs on average than the lizards on the larger island. Explain how the data you collected either supports or does not support this claim. 3. Based on what you know about the experimental islands and the lizards that were placed on these islands, explain how and why the average leg length of the population might change over time. Indude the concept of natural selection in your discussion. 4. If the population from one of the experimental islands were reintroduced on the original island, do you predict that lizards from the two populations would still mate and reproduce? Justify Module 4: Dewlap Colors 1. Anolis cristotelius and A. cooki are both trunk-ground anoles that live on Puerto Rico. \( A \). cristatellus lives in a shady, forest environment, while A. cook tives in an open, sunny environment. What is an adaptive explanation for why the dewlap of one species evolved to be hriahter and that nf annther checies darker? 2. From the bar graph generated in the virtual lab (see below), how do the dewlap colors of the two species compare? 3. How would you determine whether the difference between the two populations is statistically 4. If a species of anoles with dark dewlaps colonized a heavily forested island, predict what would happen over time to the color of the dewlap. Using your knowledge of natural selection and denetics. exnlain vour prediction. Extension Questions 1. To minimize interspecific competition, organisms often divide the limited available resources in an area, a concept called "resource partitioning." As an example of this concept, the figure below illustrates how different species of warblers utilize different portions of an individual tree. Figure 3. Different species of North American warblers live in different parts of the same trees. The shaded areas indicate the habitats each warbler species occupies. Explain how the different species of anoles on an island demonstrate "resource partitioning" similar to the warblers in the fixure. 2. Explain how resource partitioning can prothote long-term coexistence of competing species, thuc inrreacine bindiversitv.