Question

Explain how natural selection might have played a role in the evolution of species tolerant of serpentine soils. (Review Concept 1.2).

Short answer

The species that have adapted to the serpentine soils tend to reproduce and survive in that soil. Due to evolutionary adaptation, the offspring produced from these ancestral plants have the genetic makeup to stay in the serpentine soil.

Step-by-step solution

Evolution and its importance

Evolution is responsible for the sustenance of organisms on the earth. There are some features present in an organism that tend to be transferred to the descendants from the ancestors.

Plants and their survival in the serpentine soil

Serpentine soil is produced from ultramafic rocks rich in heavy elements but poor in essential elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, etc. These soils also have low moisture content.

Plants need water and essential elements for their growth and survival. Thus, an average plant does not develop appropriately in the serpentine soil due to the non-availability of essential elements and low moisture.

Adaptation of plants for survival in serpentine soils

The variant plants that have strong roots to uptake nutrients and water in the serpentine soil can survive here. These plants have also developed special features to adapt to the higher level of elements present in the serpentine soil.

The variant species is selected due to natural selection, which allows maintaining its population. The serpentine tolerant properties are transferred to its descendants, and gradually, serpentine-adapted plant species have evolved.