Suppose there are three isolated populations of a beetle: population A has had a constant population size of 10,000, population B has had a constant population size of 1,000, and population C has had a constant population size of 100.We would most expect to see an increase in the frequency of deleterious alleles in population _______ due to _______.
A) A; genetic drift
B) A; purifying selection
C) B; purifying selection
D) C; genetic drift
E) C; gene flow

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Population C, which has had a constant population size of 100, is more likely to experience genetic drift, which can lead to an increase in the frequency of deleterious alleles. Population A, with a larger population size, is less likely to experience genetic drift, and both populations A and B are more likely to experience purifying selection, which would decrease the frequency of deleterious alleles. Population C is too small to experience much gene flow, so E is not a likely answer.

Suppose There Are Three Isolated Populations of a Beetle: Population