Rio Grande leopard frogs growfrom 2.2 to 4.5 inches in length. They are usually tan, brown, or pale green in color with distinctive black spotting and prominent light -colored ridges down either side of their backs. After a flash flood event, there were very few pale green frogs left in the population. After several generations, pale green leopard frogs are virtually nonexistent. Which evolutionary process led to the decline in pale green leopard frogs? Muations Natural Selection Gene Flow Genetic Drift

## Step 1<br />The problem presents a scenario where a population of pale green leopard frogs has drastically decreased after a flash flood event. The question asks us to identify the evolutionary process that led to this decline.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The options provided are: Mutations, Natural Selection, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift. We need to analyze each option in the context of the given scenario.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence of an organism. While mutations can lead to changes in an organism's phenotype, they do not explain the decline in the population of pale green frogs.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Gene Flow is the transfer of genetic variation from one population to another. This process does not explain the decline in the population of pale green frogs, as it does not involve the selective survival of certain traits.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />Genetic Drift is a mechanism of evolution that involves random changes in the frequency of alleles in a population. This process does not explain the decline in the population of pale green frogs, as it does not involve the selective survival of certain traits.<br /><br />## Step 6<br />Natural Selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. In the given scenario, the pale green frogs were less likely to survive the flash flood event, leading to their decline in the population. Over time, this would result in the pale green color becoming virtually nonexistent in the population.