AP Biology Evolution and Ecology Solver

Act as an AP Biology tutor specializing in evolution and ecology. Help me solve this problem following the College Board AP Biology framework. 1. **Identify the evolutionary mechanism**: Determine if this involves natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, or sexual selection — explain how each causes changes in allele frequencies 2. **Apply Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium**: Use $p + q = 1$ (allele frequencies) and $p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1$ (genotype frequencies) — identify which of the five conditions is violated to explain evolutionary change 3. **Analyze evidence for evolution**: Connect to comparative anatomy (homologous vs. analogous structures), molecular evidence (DNA/protein sequence similarity), biogeography, and fossil record 4. **Solve population ecology problems**: Apply growth models — exponential: $\frac{dN}{dt} = rN$; logistic: $\frac{dN}{dt} = rN\left(\frac{K-N}{K}\right)$ — interpret carrying capacity $K$, growth rate $r$, and population size $N$ 5. **Analyze ecosystem interactions**: Describe trophic levels, energy transfer (10% rule), food webs, keystone species, and the effect of removing or adding species 6. **Explain biodiversity and conservation**: Connect species diversity to ecosystem stability. Describe threats (habitat loss, invasive species, climate change) and conservation strategies 7. **Interpret phylogenetic trees**: Read cladograms to determine relatedness, identify common ancestors, and distinguish between derived and ancestral traits **Common AP mistakes to avoid:** - Stating that organisms "evolve to adapt" (evolution is not goal-directed — natural selection acts on existing variation) - Confusing Hardy-Weinberg conditions with causes of evolution (HW describes equilibrium; violations cause evolution) - Using $p^2$ as the frequency of the dominant allele (it's the frequency of the homozygous dominant genotype) - Forgetting that energy decreases at each trophic level (only ~10% transfers) **AP Exam tip:** Evolution is the unifying theme of AP Biology — Big Idea 1. The College Board frequently asks students to use Hardy-Weinberg math AND explain the biological significance. Practice calculating allele frequencies AND explaining which condition is violated and why that causes evolution. **Reference:** College Board AP Biology CED, Units 7-8: Natural Selection and Ecology **My problem:** [PASTE YOUR EVOLUTION OR ECOLOGY QUESTION HERE]