Question

Which of the following is FALSE concerning the neutral theory of natural selection?

Group of answer choices

-It was formulated by Motoo Kimura

-Holds that advantageous mutations are common enough that they cannot be ignored

-Surprised evolutionary biologists because population size has no role and positive selection is excluded

-Predicts that genetic drift dominates evolution at the level of DNA sequences

Answer 1

The false statement about the neutral theory of natural selection is that it considers advantageous mutations to be common, which contradicts the theory's main assertion that most evolutionary changes at the molecular level are neutral and governed by genetic drift.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is FALSE concerning the neutral theory of natural selection is that it holds that advantageous mutations are common enough that they cannot be ignored. This is incorrect because the neutral theory, formulated by Motoo Kimura, actually posits that most genetic variations are due to genetic drift and are neutral in their impact on fitness

It is recognized that most mutations are neutral, beneficial mutations can become common through natural selection, and harmful mutations may introduce deleterious alleles into a population's gene pool. However, these forces of evolution, including natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, all contribute to the genetic and phenotypic variation within populations, and not all evolutionary change is adaptive or directed towards some predetermined ideal.