Question

Briefly define both genetic bottleneck and population bottleneck. How can a population be more-or-less recovered from a population bottleneck but still suffer from low genetic diversity (i.e., have not recovered from the genetic bottleneck)?

Answer 1

The genetic bottleneck is a sharp reduction in population size, leading to a loss of genetic diversity. A population can recover in terms of numbers, but still suffer from low genetic diversity due to the reduction in alleles in the gene pool.

Step-by-step explanation:

The genetic bottleneck refers to a sharp reduction in the population size, leading to a loss of genetic diversity. This can occur due to natural disasters, diseases, or hunting.

On the other hand, the population bottleneck occurs when a small group of individuals becomes separated from the larger population, resulting in reduced genetic diversity.

A population can be more-or-less recovered from a population bottleneck, meaning its population size may increase again. However, if the bottleneck event greatly reduced the number of alleles in the gene pool, the population may still suffer from low genetic diversity.

This means that even though the population has rebounded in terms of numbers, its genetic variation is significantly reduced, which can make it more susceptible to diseases and other environmental pressures.