Why doesn't inbreeding depression, by itself, cause evolution?
A) It decreases the population's average fitness.
B) It limits gene flow.
C) It does not change the population's allele frequencies.
D) It increases homozygosity.
E) It violates the Hardy-Weinberg assumptions.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Inbreeding depression, by itself, does not cause evolution because it does not change the population's allele frequencies. Inbreeding depression occurs when individuals that are genetically related mate, which increases homozygosity and decreases heterozygosity in the population. However, this does not necessarily lead to a shift in allele frequencies, which is required for evolution to occur according to the modern synthesis of evolutionary theory.

Why Doesn't Inbreeding Depression, by Itself, Cause Evolution