An earthquake decimates a ground-squirrel population, killing 98% of the squirrels. The surviving population has broader stripes, on average, than the initial population. If broadness of stripes is genetically determined, which of the following processes most likely caused the change?
A) directional selection
B) disruptive selection
C) a founder event
D) a bottleneck effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The change in the squirrel population's stripe broadness is most likely due to a bottleneck effect, which occurs when a significant portion of a population is suddenly eliminated, leaving a small, non-representative sample of the original population. The surviving squirrels' broader stripes indicate that the genetic diversity has been drastically reduced, and the characteristics of the surviving population may not reflect those of the original population.

An Earthquake Decimates a Ground-Squirrel Population, Killing 98% of the Squirrels