Final answer:
The process of gene duplication and divergence involves creating new genes by mutating duplicates of old genes and can lead to the creation of gene families, contributing to speciation and biological diversity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of gene duplication and divergence refers to the creation of new genes through mutations in duplicates of old genes. After a gene is duplicated, one copy maintains the original function, while the other is free to accumulate mutations that may lead to new functions. This can result in the creation of gene families, which are groups of related genes that often confer similar but specialized functions across a range of organisms. Additionally, gene duplication and divergence are fundamental processes contributing to speciation and evolutionary diversity.
Answering the student's question:
- A. creating new genes by mutation in duplicates of old genes - Correct.
- B. the creation of gene families, which are genes that are similar across a range of organisms - Correct.
- C. offspring becoming increasingly different from their ancestors - this is a result of overall evolutionary processes, not specifically gene duplication and divergence.
- D. the creation of new species as new genes are created from duplicates of old genes - while gene duplication and divergence contribute to speciation, the creation of new species involves many additional factors.
- E. none of these answers are correct - Incorrect, as A and B are correct.