The variation in gene pools among the 30 pupfish populations occurred through an evolutionary mechanism called
A) the bottleneck effect.
B) directional selection.
C) random mating.
D) Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bottleneck effect occurs when a population undergoes a drastic reduction in size, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity. This can lead to changes in the gene pool, as certain alleles may become more or less common, and can ultimately result in the divergence of populations through the process of genetic drift. The fact that there are 30 pupfish populations suggests that there may have been a split or bottleneck event that has led to variation in gene pools. The other options (directional selection, random mating, and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium) do not necessarily imply changes in the gene pool or variation among populations.

The Variation in Gene Pools Among the 30 Pupfish Populations