A population of bats feeds on flying insects. Some of these bats have a gene that results in much stronger flight muscles than those of the other bats in the area. Explain how this variation could lead to evolutionary change within this species of bat. In your answer, be sure to include an explanation of

Complete question:

A population of bats feeds on flying insects. Some of these bats have a gene that results in much stronger flight muscles than those of the other bats in the area. Explain how this variation could lead to evolutionary change within this species of bat. In your answer, be sure to include an explanation of

Animals with the gene of stronger muscles are better competitors, which means more chances to survive and to reproduce. When they reproduce they pass the gene to the progeny, increasing the allele frequency in the population, probably until fixating it.

Explanation:

Within a population occurs competition among individuals for different resources such a food, territory, refuge, access to females, among others. Feeding habits result in a very important factor that models the species structures, and that might even result in the differentiation of the species into subspecies. Competition for food acts as pressure for animals leading them to develop new strategies for food access. In the exposed example, one of these new strategies is related to a better flight, which is possible due to the gene that results in much stronger flight muscles. Individuals that develop stronger flight muscles are more competitive and probably improve their social status, not only because they can get access to more and better food, but also because this means a better genetic charge which makes them better for mating. These animals have more chances to survive and reproduce: they are stronger and they feed better than the other individuals. The stronger flight muscles are not only useful for feeding, but also for avoiding predators, and for competition. Animals with this gene probably live longer.  

Natural selection is the result of the phenotype-environment interaction which determines gene destiny in space and time, selecting beneficial alleles and increasing their frequency in the population. The mutation in the gene of muscle development turns to be beneficial for the species. Animals that carry the gene have more chances to mate and reproduce, and hence to pass the gene to the progeny. In this way, the allelic frequency will increase within the bat population over time.