Question

A population of cottontail rabbits feeds on grass located at the bottom of a cliff. A loose boulder at the top falls and kills a large portion of the rabbit population randomly. How will this affect the subsequent generations of cottontail rabbits in this population? 1.The cottontails that survived will reproduce and be able to better avoid large boulders 2.The subsequent generations will be less diverse than the original population 3.The population will find another food source to avoid injury from environmental factors 4.Cottontail rabbits will likely go extinct due to their feeding patterns

Answer 1

Answer: 2.The subsequent generations will be less diverse than the original population

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

2.The subsequent generations will be less diverse than the original population

Step-by-step explanation:

A larger population means that there are more genetically diverse organisms in a population. As a result, there will be more genetic diversity in a larger population as compared to a smaller population.

When any disaster occurs, resulting in wiping a larger portion of the population, then the population becomes lesser. As a result, the genetic diversity of the population also decreases.

Hence, a disaster such as the one described in the question will lead to lesser genetic diversity in the coming generations.