Question

The florida panther, a member of the cat family, has a population of fewer than 100 individuals and has limited genetic variation. which inference based on this information is valid?

Answer 1

(2) Over time, these animals will become less likely to survive in a changing environment.

Step-by-step explanation:

(1) These animals will begin to evolve rapidly.

(2) Over time, these animals will become less likely to survive in a changing environment.

(3) These animals are easily able to adapt to the environment.

(4) Over time, these animals will become more likely to be resistant to disease.

A small population of an organism with limited genetic variation will be less likely to survive in a changing environment over a period of time.

This is because the population will experience a bottleneck effects, a form of genetic drift that happens when a population is small.

Reduced genetic variation limits the number of genes that natural selection can act on as the environment keeps changing with time. Hence, the survival of the population is at risk a a result of changes to the environment.

The correct option is option (2).

Answer 2

This means that Florida panther population is endangered (closely to become extinct).
Florida panther is a population of cougar which lives in South Florida in the United States. The Florida panther has the low genetic diversity because of the factors (environmental and genetic) like habitat destruction. As a result, the distinct and isolated subspecies was formed followed by a decrease in the population size and increase of inbreeding depression. Inbreeding depression led to the increased expression of deleterious traits in the populations, lowering the fitness of the population.