How can gene duplication provide an evolutionary pathway by which a protein can switch functions without loss of the original function?
A) Gene duplication results in two identical genes that both preserve the same function.
B) A pair of duplicated genes initially perform the same functions, but both genes acquire mutations that change their function.
C) When a gene is duplicated, it rapidly acquires mutations that make it no longer functional.
D) An extra copy of a working gene is formed that can gain a new function without changing the function of the original gene.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gene duplication provides an extra copy of a working gene, allowing for the duplicate gene to evolve without disrupting the function of the original gene. The duplicate gene can acquire mutations that result in a new function, while still preserving the original function of the original gene. This process can result in the evolution of multifunctional proteins without the loss of the original function.

How Can Gene Duplication Provide an Evolutionary Pathway by Which