Genotype Vs. Phenotype Notes
Genotype –
Phenotype –
What’s the Connection?
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“Survival of the Fittest” Scenarios
Scenario 1: Drought
Scenario 2: Predator is
Approaching
Scenario 3: Predator Fight
Scenario 4: Blizzard
Scenario 5: Human Factor
Real-World Example of Genotype Vs. Phenotype: The Rock Pocket Mouse
1. Define mutation:
2. Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “Mutations
are caused by pressure from the environment.”
3. Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “The
appearance of dark-colored volcanic rock is what caused the mutation for dark fur to appear in the rock
pocket mouse population.”
4. Is the following statement true or false? Justify your answer in one or two sentences: “The same
mutation (of dark fur) could be advantageous in some environments but harmful in others.”
5. Near the end of the film, Dr. Sean B. Carroll states that evolution is not a random process, “while
mutation is random, natural selection is not.” What is the proof presented right after his statement
that allows scientists to conclude that natural selection drives evolution?
6. Did the genetic mutation occur in the same genes in the dark colored mice found in different
locations?
7. What role does the environment play in allowing the mutant gene to become more frequent in a
population?
8. So, in the end, is it the genotype or the phenotype that actually allows an organism to survive? Explain
your answer.