How does this experimental setup test whether mutation is random versus directed by the selective environment? xFor your results as shown in Table 1, did the first occurrence of the NOT phenotype happen earlier or later in Treatment 1 compared to Treatment 2? ͒xWas this the same for each person in your group, and for each person in the course? ͒xWhat pattern would you have expected to observe in the course data if mutations occur in response to the presence of a selective environment? ͒
6xGiven the data you have examined across allAvida-ED experiments you have performed, how would you describe what it means that mutations are random?
͒xThought experiment –How would evolution be affected if mutations did not occur (that is, a zero percent mutation rate)? ͒xWhy is mutation essential to the evolutionary process?
͒xWe used Avida-ED and this experimental protocol to model what occurs when biological populations experience mutation. What are some limitations or constraints to our modeling in this exercise?͒