Thanks to a novel recessive mutation, a certain plant species has begun to invade colder Arctic regions outside of its normal range. However, this cold-tolerant mutation has not yet become fixed in the population. A second mutation arises that promotes self-pollination. Do you predict that the self-pollination allele will be selected for in the Arctic regions? Why or why not?

Question

A.  Yes. The self-pollinated plant is more likely to maintain the cold-tolerant mutation, and plants in the Arctic are unlikely to be visited by pollinators.
B.  No. Outcrossing is always beneficial, since it enhances genetic diversity.
C.  No. Plants that produce flowers must be cross-pollinated for proper seed development.
D.  Cannot make a prediction from the information given. It depends on whether the plant is normally insect-pollinated or wind-pollinated.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
What do you already know about pollination? What other information is related to the question?

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
 

Answer 1

A.  Yes. The self-pollinated plant is more likely to maintain the cold-tolerant mutation, and plants in the Arctic are unlikely to be visited by pollinators.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · This question is asking about the adaptiveness of self-pollination in an Artic climate.
What type of thinking is required?
        · Evaluate level:
            o This question is asking you to evaluate the consequences of a mutation that results in the self-pollination of a plant in the Artic.

Gather Content
What do you already know about pollination? What other information is related to the question?
        · Self-pollination is favored in stable, unchanging conditions.
        · Artic regions would have a minimum of insect pollinators.

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · Cross-pollination is not required for flower production, so that answer can be excluded.
        · Self-pollinated plants would be likely to survive and produce offspring, so the self-pollination mutation would be maintained over time.

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        · Evaluate level:
            Answering this question correctly depended on your ability to evaluate the adaptiveness of a mutation that results in self-pollination. If you got an incorrect answer, did you remember that self-pollination differs from cross-pollination by the removal of the need for a pollinator, or the criteria to compare self and cross-pollination includes the availability of potential pollinators? Did you have trouble weighing the merits of self-pollination and cross-pollination to determine the correct answer?