Rough-skinned newts produce a strong toxin called TTX as a defense mechanism against predators. Garter snakes can tolerate a very limited amount of the toxin. However, several populations of garter snakes have recently shown an increased tolerance for TX. The different populations of snakes have independently acquired a gene variation that allows them to better block the effects of the toxin.
Which of these is most likely to increase in garter snakes?
A The average number of genes in the garter snake populations
® The number of times a garter snake replicates the variant gene
© The frequency of the variant gene in the garter snake populations
The average number of times genes mutate to create a tolerance for the toxin