Suppose a hard frost in southern Florida wipes out nearly all of a population of plants.Even though the plant population recovers in numbers after a couple of decades, the genetic variation within that population remains much reduced.Which is the most likely cause of the diminished genetic variation?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario described fits the definition of a population bottleneck, where a severe reduction in population size can lead to decreased genetic variation due to the loss of alleles. The loss of variation is not likely due to founder effect, which occurs when a new population is established by a few individuals with lower diversity than the original population. Purifying selection removes deleterious mutations but does not necessarily lead to decreased genetic variation. Gene flow, the movement of genes between populations, can actually increase genetic variation. Muller's ratchet refers to the gradual accumulation of deleterious mutations in asexual populations, and is not relevant in this scenario where the population size eventually recovers.

Suppose a Hard Frost in Southern Florida Wipes Out Nearly