If you allowed 10 identical parallel Salmonella cultures to evolve for 10,000 generations under new growth conditions with very little nitrogen, the parallel cultures would
A) evolve identical adaptations to use the nitrogen source provided in the media.
B) not change or adapt very much over this small number of generations.
C) each accumulate different random mutations resulting in different adaptations to use the nitrogen in the media.
D) direct mutations to occur in nitrogen utilization and uptake genes in order to adapt rapidly to the culture conditions.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As the Salmonella cultures are subject to new growth conditions, they will likely experience selective pressures that favor different mutations that arise by chance. Since the cultures are identical at the outset, and the number of generations is relatively small, it is unlikely that they will all evolve exactly the same set of mutations. Therefore, each culture is likely to accumulate different random mutations resulting in different adaptations to use the nitrogen in the media.

If You Allowed 10 Identical Parallel Salmonella Cultures to Evolve