Insect Species Resistance to DOT In
1950
Resistance to DOT In
1900
Resistance to DOT In
1970
Anopheles gambige
Angeles suboicus
Ardes circus
726
42%
DDT is a synthetic compound commonly used as an insecticide. It was used to control mosquito species that
commonly spread diseases like malaria. The data show the percent resistance for three species of mosquitoes over
three decades. What explains the trend seen in the data?
A)
Genetic drift resulted in the random deaths of non-resistant insects,
leaving only resistant mosquitoes to breed.
B)
Artificial selection favored genotypes that were bred by humans to
maintain the desired traits in the mosquito populations.
Gene flow between the three species increased the genetic diversity of the
populations, resulting in more DDT-resistant species over time.
D)
Natural selection favored resistant members of the species, which survived
and reproduced at a greater frequency than non-resistant mosquitoes.