b. If a person has the PTC tasting gene, then they are less likely to be a smoker because they detest the taste of cigarettes.
a. What variation exists within a population of chimpanzees in regards to PTC sensitivity?
Some chimpanzees are tasters, and some are non-tasters. However, there are varying degrees of tasters: some are supertasters and some don’t taste it as strongly. Studies show that 25% of chimpanzees are non-tasters, and 75% are tasters.
b. Which characteristic trait would be more favourable considering the foods they eat?
It would be better to be a taster, as chimpanzees eat many fruits, nuts and leaves which could possibly be poisonous. A chimpanzee who is a taster would taste the bitterness and would …show more content…
In a natural environment, the number of chimpanzees would not be the same each year, as different years bring new challenges, such as droughts, floods, deforestation and hunting.
Secondly, the number of non-tasting chimpanzees would not always decrease so dramatically ever year. Although survival of the fittest states that the chimpanzees with the PTC tasting gene should have a better chance of surviving and reproducing because they will be able to taste the poisonous plants, some years would have different consequences. For example, if a drought came and killed most of the chimpanzees, except for five tasting and seven non-tasting, the graph would be a lot different.
Humans also have a massive impact on their environment and the process of natural selection. We destroy their habitat and kill them for trophies. Global warming had also made a huge difference in their everyday lives: the days are getting warmer every summer, and many animals are starting to die from