Question

Discuss the causes of heritable variation and the consequences of differential survival and reproduction for variation in a population.

A) Variation arises from genetic mutations and recombination, and differential survival and reproduction lead to changes in allele frequencies.

B) Variation is due to individual choices, and differential survival and reproduction have no impact on population variation.

C) Variation is primarily caused by environmental influences, and differential survival and reproduction are unrelated to population variation.

D) Variation arises from external factors, and survival and reproduction do not influence variation.

Answer 1

Variation in a population arises from genetic mutations and recombination, and differential survival and reproduction can lead to changes in allele frequencies. Correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Variation in a population arises from genetic mutations and recombination, and the process of differential survival and reproduction can lead to changes in allele frequencies. Genetic mutations introduce new variation into a population, while recombination shuffles existing genetic material to create new combinations. Differential survival and reproduction, also known as natural selection, favor individuals with beneficial traits and behaviors, causing those alleles to become more common in the population over time. For example, if white rabbits are more easily seen by predators and are more likely to be eaten, the proportion of the allele for white fur in the population will decrease.