Traits, Survival, and Reproduction Quick Check
3 of 43 of 4 Items
Question
A bottleneck event reduces the population of bears in one area by 80%. Which statement is correct about the bears’ gene pool? (1 point)
Responses
It has temporarily increased, so disadvantageous traits are more likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily increased, so disadvantageous traits are more likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily decreased, so disadvantageous traits are more likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily decreased, so disadvantageous traits are more likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily decreased, so disadvantageous traits are less likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily decreased, so disadvantageous traits are less likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily increased, so disadvantageous traits are less likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily increased, so disadvantageous traits are less likely to be passed on.
It has temporarily decreased, so disadvantageous traits are more likely to be passed on.
The correct statement about the bears' gene pool in this scenario is:
- It has temporarily decreased, so disadvantageous traits are less likely to be passed on.
The correct answer is:
It has temporarily decreased, so disadvantageous traits are less likely to be passed on.
Explanation:
A bottleneck event is a sudden reduction in population size, usually caused by a natural disaster or some other catastrophic event. In this case, the population of bears in one area has been reduced by 80%, which means that only a small fraction of the original population remains.
During a bottleneck event, the gene pool of the population is reduced because many individuals are lost, resulting in a decrease in genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is important because it allows a population to adapt to changing environmental conditions. When genetic diversity is reduced, there is a higher chance that disadvantageous traits are present in the population.
In this particular scenario, the population has experienced a decrease in its gene pool due to the bottleneck event. This means that the number of available genetic variations has been reduced, and disadvantageous traits are more likely to be lost. Therefore, the correct statement is that the gene pool has temporarily decreased, and disadvantageous traits are less likely to be passed on.