HELP ONLY IF YOU KNOW PLEASE!! A species of beetle can be either black or brown in color. The beetle's color is determined by a single gene, and black is recessive to brown. The soil in the area has become darker and closer in color to the black beetles. Which of the following will most likely occur?

Selective pressures will decrease the number of brown beetles.

Selective pressures will increase the number of brown beetles.

Selective pressures will decrease the number of black beetles.

The overall size of the beetle population will continue to decrease over time.

the first option

Explanation:

As the soil gets darker, brown beetles become easily recognised by predators (like birds) and will be eaten. Black beetles however, are better camouflaged and will less likely be spotted by the birds. Black beetles will survive and interbreed, allowing the recessive allele to be passed on to upcoming generations.

Selective pressure is what makes the genetic pool shift toward a particular genotype with a particular phenotype (recessive black in this case) that gives the new generations a selective advantage. They're more likely to survive and reproduce. Survival of the fittest.

Genotype- the genetic makeup of an organism (eg: the recessive gene for black; bb)

Phenotype- physical feature of an organism as determined by the genotype (the colour black)