Q1. In the wild, male house finches (Carpodus mexicanus) vary considerably in an amount of red pigmentation in their head and throat feathers, with colours ranging from pale yellow to bright red. These colours come from carotenoid pigments that are found in the birds’ diets; no vertebrates are known to synthesize carotenoid pigments. Therefore, the brighter red the male’s feathers are, the more successful he has been at acquiring the red carotenoid pigment by his food-gathering efforts (all other factors being equal).
Throughout breeding season, one should expect female house finches to prefer to mate with males with the brightest red feathers. Which is most completely describes the sort of evolutionary change that will occur in this situation?
Q2. Tony sometimes seems very “wound up.” At those times, he seems full of energy, talks very rapidly, and makes very grandiose plans. (One time, he gave away all of his belongings and was planning to move to Washington, D.C., so he might advise the President.) At these times, he also seems to need almost no sleep. All through other periods of time, Tony seems very “down.” throughout these times he does not take care of himself. He seems to want to sleep all the time, and he often makes thinly veiled references to wanting to commit suicide.
