Chapter 44, Problem 8TYU

Summary Introduction

To propose a hypothesis: The rate of evaporative water loss in a population that lives in a moist environment and in a population that lives in dry environments on the basis of natural selection.

Introduction: Natural selection is the basic mechanism of evolution representing survival. The process of natural selection leads to evolutionary adaptation for heritable changes in populations through “survival of the fittest” under stress conditions. In order to survive, an organism must be able to keep a constant osmotic pressure and water balance of their body. Evaporation is one of the key sources of water loss in animals. And to avoid water loss through evaporation, animals adapted themselves across various range of ecosystem.