Question

complete the following passage regarding evolutionary adaptation. complete the passage by filling in the blank(s). drag the word(s) below to fill in the blank(s) or use your keyboard to choose word(s) from the dropdown menus. in the ocean, one of the main challenges that confront fish is the ability to stay buoyant in the water. if a fish cannot stay buoyant passively, more blank must be expended to actively maintain its level in the water column. a few hundred million years ago, a new structure evolved: a swim bladder that acts like an internal balloon, keeping the fish afloat. the fish that possessed these swim bladders likely experienced blank survival and reproduction, changing the allele frequencies of the population over time via blank. the options are gene flow, natural selection, decreased, energy, mutations, increased.

Explanation:

1. For the first blank: If a fish can't stay buoyant passively, it needs to use more "energy" to actively maintain its position. This is because energy is required for active movement or processes.
2. For the second blank: Fish with swim bladders (a beneficial adaptation) would likely have "increased" survival and reproduction. Adaptations that help with survival and reproduction tend to be favored, leading to more success in these areas.
3. For the third blank: The change in allele frequencies over time due to differential survival and reproduction of individuals with beneficial traits is "natural selection". Natural selection is the process by which organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, altering the genetic makeup of the population.

Answer:

First blank: energy
Second blank: increased
Third blank: natural selection