Question

How may mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow have affected populations that colonized the lake? Match the terms in the left column to the appropriate blanks in the sentences on the right.

|
1. Genetic drift | would cause evolutionary change in animal populations that colonize a new environment as its conditions differ from those found in their home.
2. Allele frequencies| would probably change because only a few colonists reach new environments, and so the size of the population would be very small initially.
3. Gene flow | into the new alleles over time, and ongoing would introduce populations; some of these alleles would be favored by selection.
4. Mutations | Submit Request Answer

Answer 1

In a new environment such as a lake, mutation introduces new genetic variations, genetic drift (via the founder effect) changes allele frequencies due to small population size, gene flow introduces new alleles which can be favored by natural selection, and natural selection itself enhances the survival and reproduction of individuals with advantageous traits.

Step-by-step explanation:

When populations colonize a new environment, such as a lake, different evolutionary mechanisms can affect their genetic makeup. Mutation introduces new alleles into a population's gene pool, potentially offering new traits that can be favored or disfavored by natural selection.

Genetic drift, especially in the form of the founder effect, can lead to significant changes in allele frequencies due to the small size of the initial colonizing populations. Gene flow can alter allele frequencies by introducing new alleles from other populations into the colonizing population, some of which may enhance survival and reproduction.

Finally, natural selection acts on the gene pool by selecting for traits that improve individuals' chances of survival and reproduction in the new environment.

Therefore, we can match the terms to the sentences as follows:

1. Natural selection would cause evolutionary change in animal populations that colonize a new environment as its conditions differ from those found in their home.
2. Genetic drift via the founder effect would probably change allele frequencies because only a few colonists reach new environments, and so the size of the population would be very small initially.
3. Gene flow would introduce new alleles over time into the populations; some of these alleles would be favored by selection.
4. Mutations would lead to new genetic variations, which could then be acted upon by natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow.