Mouse Population Phenotype Change: CER Assignment
In this assignment, you will analyze the change in the phenotype of a mouse population over four years. You will use the provided graphs (Source 1.1 and Source 1.2) to construct a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) response to the research question: "How did the mouse population change from Year 1 to Year 4?"
Group 1
Use the image and the data graph to support your CER. The image shows the change in mouse population color over three months.
Source 1.1
The graph shows a progression from Years 1 through 4, illustrating the change in the color of the rock pocket mouse population in response to predation pressures in Location A where the sand is light colored.
Source 1.2
The graph shows a progression from Years 1 through 4, illustrating the change in the color of the rock pocket mouse population in response to predation pressures in Location B where the sand is dark colored from a volcanic eruption that resulted in black sand.
Question 1a
Write a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) to answer the research question: "How did the mouse population change from Year 1 to Year 4?" Your response should include:
- Claim: A statement that answers the research question.
- Evidence: Data from the image and graph that supports your claim.
- Reasoning: An explanation of why the evidence supports the claim, including any biological principles involved.
The following unit vocabulary terms should be incorporated in your response: trait, mutation, natural selection, adaptation, genetic variation, inheritance, evolution, DNA, allele frequency, gene pool, heredity, and evolutionary fitness.
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