The following question refers to the figure.
In this eight-year experiment, 12 populations of E. coli, each begun from a single cell, were grown in low-glucose conditions for 20,000 generations. Each culture was introduced to fresh growth medium every 24 hours. Occasionally, samples were removed from the populations, and their fitness in low-glucose conditions was tested against that of members sampled from the ancestral (common ancestor) E. coli population.

Which term best describes what has occurred among the experimental populations of cells over this eight-year period?
A) microevolution
B) speciation
C) adaptive radiation
D) stabilizing selection

Question

The following question refers to the figure.
In this eight-year experiment, 12 populations of E. coli, each begun from a single cell, were grown in low-glucose conditions for 20,000 generations. Each culture was introduced to fresh growth medium every 24 hours. Occasionally, samples were removed from the populations, and their fitness in low-glucose conditions was tested against that of members sampled from the ancestral (common ancestor) E. coli population.

Which term best describes what has occurred among the experimental populations of cells over this eight-year period?
A) microevolution 
B) speciation 
C) adaptive radiation 
D) stabilizing selection

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The experiment describes changes in the fitness of populations over time, which is an example of microevolution. There is no evidence of speciation, adaptive radiation, or stabilizing selection based on the information given.

The Following Question Refers to the Figure