Final answer:
Inbreeding can alter genotype and allele frequencies in a population. It can lead to a decrease in fitness and an increase in the expression of harmful phenotypes. Inbreeding reduces genetic diversity and can negatively impact the health and viability of a population.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inbreeding can alter genotype and allele frequencies in a population. When closely related individuals mate with each other, there is a higher chance of offspring inheriting harmful recessive mutations. This can lead to a decrease in fitness and an increase in the expression of detrimental phenotypes.
For example, inbreeding can bring together rare, deleterious mutations that would not be expressed in a population with sufficient genetic diversity. As a result, the frequency of harmful alleles may increase, while the frequency of beneficial alleles may decrease.
Overall, inbreeding reduces genetic diversity and can negatively impact the health and viability of a population over time.