[Campbell Biology P.627] Based on Figure 27.10, what was the primary conclusion drawn from t... | Practice Question
Based on Figure 27.10, what was the primary conclusion drawn from the E. coli long-term evolution experiment regarding population growth rates?
A: E. coli populations adapted by decreasing their growth rate in the low-glucose environment.
B: The population growth rate of E. coli remained constant throughout the 20,000 generations.
C: E. coli populations accumulated beneficial mutations over 20,000 generations, leading to increased population growth rates in the new environment.
D: Genetic diversity decreased over time, leading to slower adaptation to the challenging environment.
Explanation
The 'Conclusion' section directly states: 'Populations of E. coli continued to accumulate beneficial mutations for 20,000 generations, allowing rapid evolution of increased population growth rates in their new environment.' This matches option C.