Q2. Read the article posted at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1
ID: 50461 • Letter: Q
Question
Q2. Read the article posted at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1072312
This article describes two putative adaptations in humans (voice variation and hidden ovulation); your task is to describe the evolutionary process that may have led to these traits arising from populations that lacked them. You must be precise in your description to gain credit. Describe the individual variation in the initial population (I.E., mostly non-trait members and a few mutants) and selective forces involved in each scenario. (I.E., you must correctly and precisely describe how the mutant trait conferred a fitness advantage for individuals with the trait).
(a) Describe the proposed scenario that explains why female voices may raise in pitch during specific times during their fertility cycle.
(b) Describe the proposed scenario that explains why human females are unusual mammals in possessing "hidden ovulation."
Explanation / Answer
(a) Earlier very few females in the initial population raised pitch of their voice when they were most fertile while the majority of females did not raise their pitch. The group of few females received more attention from males during their fertile period and thus were less likely to miss mating. These females also accomplished higher fitness than their counterparts who did not raise their pitch. Due to these reasons the genetic factors that contributed to such traits increased in frequency over generations and time and continued until a state of uniformity was achieved where every female in the population raised pitch of her voice when most fertile.
(b) Earlier majority of females in the initial population demonstrated visible signs of fertility when they were ovulating while few of females did not show any such signs. Females with obvious ovulation received more attention and reproductive advances from males during their fertile peak but the attention remained short term. Once the fertile peak was over, males moved to the next available ovulating female. Contrary to this females possessing hidden ovulation received longer term attention from males as males did not get to know for sure if they had mated the female during their fertile period or not. Thus females with hidden ovulation received more benefits and higher fitness than ones showing obvious signs of fertility. Due to these reasons the genetic factors that contributed to such traits increased in frequency over generations and time and continued until a state of uniformity was achieved where every female in the population had hidden ovulation.
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