The following table provides phenotypic data for a population of mammoths living in cold environments based on fossil and DNA ev
idence. Characteristic Percent of Population Showing Trait by Generation
Generation 1 Generation 2 Generation 3
Tusks greater than 2.5 m in length 25 25 25
Tusks less than 2.5 m in length 75 75 75
Mass greater than 4,000 kg 15 15 15
Mass less than 4,000 kg 85 85 85
Fur thickness greater than 6 cm 15 25 35
Fur thickness less than 6 cm 85 75 65
Based on this data and your knowledge of natural selection, which explanation best explains the trends seen in the data?
A. Individuals with thicker fur had a survival advantage in the cold environment, allowing these individuals to reproduce more often and create more offspring.
B.Individuals within this population of mammoths tend to only mate with individuals that have thick fur.
C.This population of mammoths appear to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium since no allele frequencies are changing over time.
D.Individuals with thick fur migrated into the population of mammoths, increasing the proportion of these individuals.
