There are two isolated populations (A and B) of an endangered plant species.Population A has had a constant size of 2,000 plants, and population B has had a constant size of 250 plants.We most expect to see an increase in the frequency of deleterious alleles in population _______ due to _______.
A) A; positive selection
B) A; genetic drift
C) B; positive selection
D) B; purifying selection
E) B; genetic drift

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Population B is small and isolated, which makes it more likely to experience genetic drift. Genetic drift can lead to an increase in the frequency of deleterious alleles, as chance events may cause these alleles to become fixed in the population. On the other hand, population A is larger and may not experience genetic drift as strongly, and positive selection is less likely to favor the spread of deleterious alleles.

There Are Two Isolated Populations (A and B) of an Endangered