Milky Way of Life Use the information to answer the following questions: In certain populations in Africa, people who drink cow\'s milk suffer from cramps and diarrhea. This condition results from an inability to digest lactose, the major carbohydrate in milk. Interestingly, these people belong to tribes that historically consumed grains produced by agriculture, instead of drinking milk from domesticated animals. In other parts of Africa, the majority of people can drink milk without suffering any negative effects. These people belong to tribes that historically relied on milk from domesticated animals for nutrition. 1) True or False: The ability to digest milk varies genetically between African populations. 2) True or False: The ability to digest milk likely conferred a reproductive advantage in populations that relied on cows for nutrition. 3) True or False: If biologists sampled a population of Asians who never relied on cows for nutrition, the majority of them likely digest lactose without difficulty. 4) True or False: If a population suddenly switch from farming crops to raising cows, the mean reproductive success of individuals would likely be lower than the mean reproductive success of their parents. 5) True or False: Lactose tolerance likely depends on genetic factors that one can artificially select. I just wanted to verify my answers to see if I\'m correct; I got T, T, F, F, T . Let me know, and thanks for your help! Solution Please find the answers below: Part 1: True (the information clearly states that the African population is able to digest milk since their primitive tribes relied upon milk as a major source of food.This has led to establishing milk-digesting enzymes as a unique genetic character in these populations as compared to other populations. This is called adaptation of characters with time) Part 2: False (The ability of digesting mild did not confer any reproductive advantage but indeed provided a direct nutritional and homeostatis advantage to these individuals making them lactose tolerant by nature) Part 3: False (Asian population is able to digest milk sugars and hence are lactose tolerant in nature. Further the Asian population comprise of fermented dairy produts such as curd/whey as a staple item which further promtoes lactose digestion. Thus, owing to their food habits, Asian population are strikingly lactose tolerant) Part 4: False (Since these populations have acquired the character of being lactose tolerant with generation due to adaptation, no matter what they do professionally i.e. farming or raising cows, they will remain lactose tolerant in nature like their parents and it will not affect their reproductive success) Part 5: True (Latose tolerance indeed provides some genetic factors which can be artifially selected. This is because the persons which can digest lactose come with functional gastric enzymes to digest this sugars wheresas some individuals simply fail to generate this enzyme during/after adole.

1. Milky Way of Life
Use the information to answer the following questions:
In certain populations in Africa, people who drink cow's milk suffer from cramps and diarrhea.
This condition results from an inability to digest lactose, the major carbohydrate in milk.
Interestingly, these people belong to tribes that historically consumed grains produced by
agriculture, instead of drinking milk from domesticated animals. In other parts of Africa, the
majority of people can drink milk without suffering any negative effects. These people belong to
tribes that historically relied on milk from domesticated animals for nutrition.
1) True or False: The ability to digest milk varies genetically between African populations.
2) True or False: The ability to digest milk likely conferred a reproductive advantage in
populations that relied on cows for nutrition.
3) True or False: If biologists sampled a population of Asians who never relied on cows for
nutrition, the majority of them likely digest lactose without difficulty.
4) True or False: If a population suddenly switch from farming crops to raising cows, the mean
reproductive success of individuals would likely be lower than the mean reproductive success of
their parents.
5) True or False: Lactose tolerance likely depends on genetic factors that one can artificially
select.
I just wanted to verify my answers to see if I'm correct; I got T, T, F, F, T . Let me know, and
thanks for your help!
Solution
Please find the answers below:
Part 1: True (the information clearly states that the African population is able to digest milk since
their primitive tribes relied upon milk as a major source of food.This has led to establishing
milk-digesting enzymes as a unique genetic character in these populations as compared to other
populations. This is called adaptation of characters with time)
Part 2: False (The ability of digesting mild did not confer any reproductive advantage but indeed
provided a direct nutritional and homeostatis advantage to these individuals making them lactose
tolerant by nature)
Part 3: False (Asian population is able to digest milk sugars and hence are lactose tolerant in
nature. Further the Asian population comprise of fermented dairy produts such as curd/whey as a
staple item which further promtoes lactose digestion. Thus, owing to their food habits, Asian
population are strikingly lactose tolerant)

2. Part 4: False (Since these populations have acquired the character of being lactose tolerant with
generation due to adaptation, no matter what they do professionally i.e. farming or raising cows,
they will remain lactose tolerant in nature like their parents and it will not affect their
reproductive success)
Part 5: True (Latose tolerance indeed provides some genetic factors which can be artifially
selected. This is because the persons which can digest lactose come with functional gastric
enzymes to digest this sugars wheresas some individuals simply fail to generate this enzyme
during/after adolescence. Thus, the ability of individuals to produce this enzyme can help in
artifical selection.)