Coloration in Guppies and Predator Influence
What happens to the coloration of male guppies when they are exposed to different predator populations?
A. Brightly colored males will become less common with each generation.
B. Males will begin showing bright colors as juveniles.
C. Brightly colored males will become more common with each generation.
D. Males will show fewer bright colors as juveniles.
E. Brightly colored males will not change in frequency.
Final answer: In this scenario, the brightly colored male guppies will become less common with each generation.
Coloration in guppies is an interesting phenomenon influenced by predator presence. In the Trinidad guppy experiment, it was observed that populations with different predator compositions had varying coloration patterns among adult male guppies.
When a population of guppies from a pond with pike-cichlids, which feed on adult guppies, is placed in a pond with killifish, which only feed on juveniles, a shift in coloration occurs over time. The killifish preying on juvenile guppies remove the colorless individuals from the population, leading to a higher proportion of brightly colored adults.
As a result, the brightly colored male guppies become less common with each generation in the new predator environment. This demonstrates how predator pressures can impact the evolution of coloration in guppy populations.