Question

A virus killed most of the seals in the North Sea (e.g., dropped the population from 8000 to 800). In an effort to help preserve the species, scientists caught 20 seals and used them to start a new population in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Which of the following mechanisms would most likely have the most impact in this new population?

A. Mutation
B. Non-random Mating
C. Genetic Drift
D. Natural Selection

Answer 1

Genetic Drift and the bottleneck effect are most likely to impact the new seal population in the northwest Pacific Ocean, as the few individuals that start the population will disproportionately determine its genetic structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mechanism most likely to have the most impact on the new population of seals started with 20 individuals in the northwest Pacific Ocean would be C. Genetic Drift. With such a small initial population, the genetic structure of these seals will become the basis for the entire new population, and any random changes will have a significant effect. This effect is known as the bottleneck effect and results from a severe reduction in population size, drastically changing the genetic structure of the survivors. Natural disasters or human-caused events can randomize survival chances, making genetic traits present in the surviving individuals disproportionately common in the subsequent population.