Question

This kettle lake formed 14,000 years ago when a glacier that covered the surrounding area melted. Initially devoid of animal life, over time, the lake was colonized by invertebrates and other animals. Hypothesize how mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow may have affected populations that colonized the lake.

Short answer

A favorable mutation might have occurred in organisms that helped in their survival. The organisms’ adaptation in the Lake environment can be shown by natural selection.

The genetic drift might have resulted in affecting the allelic diversity of living organisms found in this Kettle Lake. The gene flow is related to the large gene pool and higher genetic variability.

Step-by-step solution

Geology

Thescientific discipline of earth sciencethat focuses on the historical life of earth, which is preserved in rocks, is called geology. The study of rocks is considered an example of geology.

The several branches of geology are mineralogy, hydrology, petrology, structural, historical, and resources geologies.

Some geological applications are mineral exploration, geobotany, climate change, energy sources, structural mapping, and geohazard mapping.

Kettle Lake and glacier

When a glacier retreats (less snow adds than it lost in melting), it deforms its shape and moves downslope; this results in a small depression due to melted ice left behind by the glacier is called kettle lake.

Affect on population

The invertebrates and other animals willsurvive better in kettle lake due to favorable mutations in these organisms.

Due to natural selection, organisms surviving in cold temperature conditions would have adapted to rising temperature conditions due to glacier melt.

The bottleneck and founder effects can be shown in organisms that colonize Kettle Lake.

The other population of organisms will colonize the lake if this lake provides accessibility to another ecosystem due to gene flow.