Question

Based on Kawecki’s experiments on learning in fruit flies, would you expect fast learning to more readily evolve in populations characterized by high or low extrinsic mortality (assume that it does provide an advantage)? Please support your answer ( require 4 - 5 sentences).

Answer 1

As per the Kawecki's experiments, the rapid learning as an evolved trait seen in the fruit flies is characterized by higher extrinsic mortality. This is caused due to a pleiotropic mutatation and is an example of a trade-off.

A higher estimate of extrinsic mortality indicates a reduced intrinsic lifespan. A pleiotropic mutation is an example of a mutation wherein an observable change or variation in one gene can result in variation seen in different phenotypes or characteristic traits.

Age as a trait becomes less favourable in the case of higher extrinsicmortality rate. Since the fruit flies take a short amount of time to reproduce, thus they make for excellent models in learning about various evolutionary traits.

The evolutionary trade-off for improvement in learning is seen in the connection of reduced lifespan of the Drosophila.