Question

The northern elephant seal was hunted almost to extinction during the 18th and 19th centuries. Less than 100 seals were left to contribute to the gene pool of their future generations. Since the early 20th century, the elephant seals have been protected by law in both the U.S. and Mexico. Over 100,000 seals now inhabit the western shores of North America, all related to the small population that survived the slaughter of hunters. Scientists fear the elephant seals may be more susceptible to disease and pollution due to a ______.

Answer 1

bottleneck effect

Step-by-step explanation:

Bottleneck effect refers to reduction in genetic variability of a population as a result of genetic drift which occur when the size of a population is severely reduced.

Reduction in population size means a reduction in the population's genetic variability due to loss of alleles. Hence, the population may become more susceptible to diseases and other negative environmental effects.