Final answer:
Inbreeding can be harmful to populations due to negative traits building up, useful traits being bred out, and the population becoming weaker and less diverse.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inbreeding can be potentially harmful to populations due to several factors:
- Negative traits, such as diseases, may build up in the population as harmful genetic mutations are more likely to be passed down when closely related individuals reproduce.
- Useful traits may be "bred out" of the population as inbreeding reduces genetic diversity and limits the availability of different alleles.
- The population becomes weaker and less diverse as inbreeding depression occurs, leading to reduced reproduction and survival rates.