Consider three populations of a plant species, each of which is isolated from other populations of the same species. Population X has had approximately 100 individuals in each generation for the past 200 generations. Population Y has had approximately 10,000 individuals in each generation for the past 200 generations. Population Z has had approximately 1 million individuals in each generation for the past 200 generations. If the environment changed and a new environmental condition exerted the exact same strength of directional selection on all three populations, which population would we expect to evolve most rapidly?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Population Z, with the largest size of 1 million individuals, would have the greatest genetic variation, allowing it to evolve more rapidly in response to environmental changes. Larger populations can harbor more genetic diversity, providing a wider range of genetic material for natural selection to act upon.

Consider Three Populations of a Plant Species, Each of Which