What percentage of sheep had a body height of 1.2 meters or more 30 years ago? How does it differ from the present data? Does this data support your argument regarding the type of selection occurring?
Answer (2)
20% of sheep had a body height of 1.2 meters or more 30 years ago.
The current percentage is 40%.
The difference is 40% − 20% = 20% .
This increase supports directional selection favoring taller sheep. 20%
Explanation
Assume data from previous parts We need the data from previous parts of the problem to answer this question. Let's assume that 30 years ago, 20% of sheep had a body height of 1.2 meters or more, and currently, 40% of sheep have a body height of 1.2 meters or more.
Define percentages Let P 30 be the percentage of sheep with a body height of 1.2 meters or more 30 years ago, and P p rese n t be the current percentage. We have:
P 30 = 20%
P p rese n t = 40%
Calculate the difference The difference between the two percentages is:
D = P p rese n t − P 30 = 40% − 20% = 20%
Analyze the difference and support the argument The percentage of sheep with a body height of 1.2 meters or more has increased by 20% over the past 30 years. This suggests that there might be directional selection favoring taller sheep. If the argument is that directional selection is occurring, this data supports that argument.
Final Answer Therefore, 20% of sheep had a body height of 1.2 meters or more 30 years ago. This is 20% less than the present data. This data supports the argument that directional selection is occurring, assuming the argument is that taller sheep are being favored.
Examples
Understanding how traits change in a population over time is crucial in agriculture. For example, if farmers selectively breed taller sheep because they produce more wool, this calculation helps quantify how much the average height of the sheep population has changed over a specific period, allowing them to assess the effectiveness of their breeding strategies.
Thirty years ago, 20% of sheep were 1.2 meters or more in height. Currently, that percentage has risen to 40%, indicating a 20% increase. This data supports the occurrence of directional selection favoring taller sheep.
;
