The Dunkers are a religious group that moved from Germany to Pennsylvania in the mid- 1700s. They do not marry with members outside their own immediate community. Today, the Dunkers are genetically unique and differ in gene frequencies, at many loci, from all other populations including those in their original homeland. Which of the following likely explains the genetic uniqueness of this population?
A) sexual selection and inbreeding depression
B) population bottleneck and Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium
C) mutation and natural selection
D) heterozygote advantage and stabilizing selection
E) founder effect and genetic drift

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The genetic uniqueness of the Dunkers is likely due to the founder effect and genetic drift. When a small group of individuals (the founders) establish a new population, they bring with them only a small portion of the genetic variation present in their original population. This can lead to a significant genetic differentiation between the new and original populations due to genetic drift, or random fluctuations in allele frequencies. In addition, the isolation of the Dunkers from other populations likely further amplified the effects of genetic drift, leading to the unique genetic composition observed today.

The Dunkers Are a Religious Group That Moved from Germany